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When Should Doctors Use Arthroscopic Debridement (AD) Surgery? New Cochrane Collaboration Study Helps Explain
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(Best Syndication) Pinon Hills CA – Doctors should evaluate patients on a case by case basis before going forward with arthroscopic surgery for pain and swelling in arthritic knees, according to research from the Cochrane Collaboration. The Cochrane Collaboration was founded in 1993 and named after the British epidemiologist, Archie Cochrane.
The group says that arthroscopic debridement (AD) might still improve comfort and mobility in patients who suffer from the most common form of arthritis. “It should by no means be regarded as inappropriate for every knee,” says said lead author Wiroon Laupattarakasem, M.D., of Khon Kaen University in Thailand. AD is one of three types of anthroscopic surgeries the Cochrane Collaboration evaluated.
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Anthroscopic surgery is a minimally invasive surgical procedure in which an examination and sometimes treatment of damage of the interior of a joint is performed using an arthroscope. The patient does not have to be opened up fully as in regular surgery. This reduces recovery time and can produce fewer traumas, but there is a small risk of infection.
As we age the cartilage in the joints between the bones may break down. This debris can cause pain, swelling and poor joint function. There are various options available. Lavage is the flushing and suctioning of debris from the joint. Debridement is used to trim damaged cartilage and bone spurs. Surgeons can also treat the bone itself with abrasion or microfracture to stimulate the growth of new cartilage.
So who should receive arthroscopic surgery? “The only osteoarthritis patients I typically consider for arthroscopic surgery are those with mild to moderate disease and mechanical symptoms in the knee,” says Scott Zashin, M.D., a rheumatologist at the University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center.
Since excessive weight can increase the risk for osteoarthritis, losing the pounds can help. Doctors might be able to treat the symptoms with drugs or surgery, but losing weight seems to help patients feel better and can slow down progression of the disease.
By Dan Wilson
Best Syndication News Writer
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