If nonsurgical treatments aren’t relieving your pain and your mobility is affected, you may still achieve the results you want with surgery on your knee. There are better surgical choices today than before.

Arthroscopy

Often the first surgical treatment for knee osteoarthritis is arthroscopy, a surgical procedure used to see, diagnose, and treat problems inside the joint. Arthroscopy typically involves inserting a small camera into the knee and then treating identifiable problems, which may include:

• trimming damaged cartilage
• removing loose debris within the knee (debridement)
• irrigating the inside of the knee (lavage)
• removing/repairing a torn meniscus (cartilage) or reconstructing a damaged ligament

Arthroscopy has been shown to diminish pain, and it may help delay the progression of knee osteoarthritis.