Perceptions of orthopaedic surgeons regarding arthroscopic surgery for osteoarthritis of the knee - an international survey

Background: Osteoarthritis is one of the most common diseases of the joints in adults and a major contributor to functional impairment and reduced independence. Current treatment strategies include physical, pharmacological, and various surgical therapies. Knee arthroscopy is one such treatment that is frequently performed despite considerable evidence that suggests it provides no relevant therapeutic benefit. Methods: To examine current practice patterns, a survey was conducted among 279 orthopaedic surgeons from 57 countries regarding their use of knee arthroscopy for knee osteoarthritis. Surgeons' preferences were stratified by country of origin, field of specialty, number of years of experience, and status. Results: The vast majority of orthopaedic surgeons surveyed would not perform knee arthroscopy for knee osteoarthritis (73%). Among the remaining 27%, this technique was more often preferred by surgeons practicing in Europe and other parts of the world (29.8%) compared with North America (15.6%) (P = 0.02), regardless of seniority or field of subspecialty. Conclusions: Although controversy exists regarding arthroscopic treatment of knee osteoarthritis, it is still preferred by more than one-quarter of orthopaedic surgeons surveyed worldwide; a significantly greater proportion of those surgeons practice outside North America.