Trends in the Use of Knee Arthroscopy in Adults

• Type of Material: Article
• Authors: David Howard, Emory University
• Language: English
• Date: 2018-11-01
• Publisher: American Medical Association
• Publication Version: Final Published Version
• Copyright Statement: 2018 American Medical Association. All Rights Reserved.
• Final Published Version (URL): http://dx.doi.org/10.1001/jamainternmed.2018.4175
• Title of Journal or Parent Work: JAMA Internal Medicine
• Volume: 178
• Issue: 11
• Start Page: 1557
• End Page: 1558
• Keywords: Science & Technology; Medicine, General & Internal; General & Internal Medicine; SURGERY; Life Sciences & Biomedicine; OSTEOARTHRITIS
• Research Categories: Health Sciences, Medicine and Surgery

Abstract

Multiple clinical trials have shown that knee arthroscopy, compared with medical management, does not result in clinically significant benefits for patients with osteoarthritis, meniscal tears, and knee pain.1,2 It is unclear whether these trials have affected clinical practice. Reimbursement incentives favor surgery, and surgeons’ and patients’ beliefs may not reflect the evidence.3 In this article, I document the trends in the use of knee arthroscopy in Florida from January 1, 2002, to December 31, 2015.