title: Arthroscopic washout of the knee--a 5-year survival analysis.
abstract: Arthroscopy and washout of the knee is commonly performed for early osteoarthritis. Very little information exists regarding long-term prognosis, especially in terms of avoidance of further surgery. Using a prospectively gathered database, 100 consecutive patients having knee arthroscopy with a finding of OA between 1991 and 1993 were identified and their outcome at 5 years ascertained. Ninety-nine patients with 100 arthroscoped knees were identified. Fifty-eight had isolated medial compartment disease and six had isolated lateral compartment disease. In 36, both compartments were affected. Eighteen knees had further major surgery during follow up; 11 had total knee replacement, four had high tibial osteotomy and three had unicondylar knee arthroplasty. Those requiring surgery were significantly older (62 cf. 53 years, P=0.008). Meniscectomy was not an important risk factor (chi2, P=0.67). The rate of knee survival without operation at 5 years was much lower in those aged over 60 years than in those younger (68% cf. 89%). (chi2, P=0.02). Only 18% of patients progress to major knee surgery within 5 years of arthroscopic washout for osteoarthritis. Age greater than 60 years worsens the prognosis considerably.
authors.affiliation: Department of Orthopaedics, The Princess Royal Hospital, Lewes Road, West Sussex RH16 4EX, UK. jasbernard@aol.com
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Bernard
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Lemon
authors.forename: M H
authors.initials: MH
authors.lastname: Patterson
mesh_terms: D001182:Arthroscopy; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D020370:Osteoarthritis, Knee / Q000601:surgery*; D011379:Prognosis; D012086:Reoperation; D016019:Survival Analysis