Studies show medication, physical therapy as effective as knee surgery

February 20th, 2009 by Jennifer Walker-Journey

knee pain 150x150Two studies show that knee surgery is beneficial at times but should not be performed routinely for the treatment of osteoarthritis, according to Fox News. The studies were published in a recent New England Journal of Medicine. One finds that medicine combined with physical therapy is just as effective as surgery for relieving the pain and stiffness of moderate or severe arthritis. The other study finds that tears in knee cartilage that often result in surgery are very common and do not always cause symptoms.

Osteoarthritis is a common aliment that has earned the condition a top ranking in disability of Americans. Symptoms of stiffness, pain and limited movement are caused when the cartilage at the end of the bone breaks down, causing the bones to rub together at the joints. The most common remedy has been arthroscopic surgery, during which surgeons insert a scope with a camera through small incisions, where they smooth damaged cartilage surfaces and flush out bone chips. This allows for faster healing time than traditional surgery.

To alleviate pain following knee surgery, doctors at times will insert a pain pump to deliver medication directly to the surgical wound site. These post-operative pain pumps can help alleviate the pain associated with surgery, but they may come at a greater risk. Post-operative pain pumps, or intra-articular pain pumps, are routinely used in similar arthroscopic surgeries for injuries.

A recent study by The American Journal of Sports Medicine identified a link between the post-operative and a painful, cartilage deteriorating condition known as Postarthoscopic Glenohumeral Chondrolysis, or PAGCL. PAGCL can cause irreversible damage and may require additional surgeries.

Patients who are considering knee surgery are advised to discuss alternative options with their physicians.

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This entry was posted on Friday, February 20th, 2009 at 8:00 am and is filed under News. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.

  • The concept of a pain pump makes sense.
    It would use very small doses of analgesic to control pain.
    As a pharmacist and chiropractor I endorse this wholeheartedly !
    Dr.David Black
    www.blackchiropractic.com.au
  • Vern M.
    How fascinating and actually pretty unfortunate at the same time. I've known a lot of people who have had surgery on their back or lower extremities for the symptoms of osteoarthritis and in many cases the end result was worse than what they were dealing with before surgery! That they could have been put into a transitional physical therapy program and given pain medication instead is even worse, though, because they were never even given an option for that!
  • Thank you so much for your comment about the pain pumps. It really is
    terrible, isn't it, that something that is supposed to provide help and
    relief may end up making the problem worse, isn't it? I guess it really
    shows the importance of always trying to find as many options as
    possible on your own, and insisting on second opinions, before making
    any decisions. Thanks again for the comment!

    Wendi
  • I think this was a very interesting journal. But I think it is important to differentiate between two common types of surgeries for arthritis, i.e. arthroscopic Vs total knee replacement.

    As far as I'm aware total knee replacement have very good outcomes. I believe this journal was more comparing Physical Therapy Vs arthroscopic knee surgery.
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