PURPOSE: To evaluate the clinical outcomes of an arthroscopic 'L' medial release (ALMR) procedure for the treatment of medial compartment knee osteoarthritis (MCKOA). METHODS: Between January 2012 and December 2013, 372 patients with MCKOA of Kellgren's radiographic grade I-III were diagnosed. Among them, 252 patients with MCKOA received ALMR performed by a single surgeon. The other 120 patients received supportive treatment and were regarded as the control group. The Knee Society Score (KSS) at baseline and 2 years, and the subjective visual analogue scale (VAS) at baseline and 1st, 2nd, 6th, 12th, and 24th months were used for outcome studies. RESULTS: There were 286 patients available for follow-up for more than 2 years and the mean follow-up period was 28 months. There were 202 patients with unilateral MCKOA in the ALMR group and 84 in the control group. The mean subjective VAS showed a statistically significant improvement after 6 months, and then remained relatively stable between the 6th and 24th month. The mean KSS for pain and function improved statistically at 2 years of follow-up. CONCLUSIONS: This ALMR appears to be an effective and safe treatment for mild and moderate MCKOA.
PURPOSE: To evaluate the clinical outcomes of an arthroscopic 'L' medial release (ALMR) procedure for the treatment of medial compartment knee osteoarthritis (MCKOA). METHODS: Between January 2012 and December 2013, 372 patients with MCKOA of Kellgren's radiographic grade I-III were diagnosed. Among them, 252 patients with MCKOA received ALMR performed by a single surgeon. The other 120 patients received supportive treatment and were regarded as the control group. The Knee Society Score (KSS) at baseline and 2 years, and the subjective visual analogue scale (VAS) at baseline and 1st, 2nd, 6th, 12th, and 24th months were used for outcome studies. RESULTS: There were 286 patients available for follow-up for more than 2 years and the mean follow-up period was 28 months. There were 202 patients with unilateral MCKOA in the ALMR group and 84 in the control group. The mean subjective VAS showed a statistically significant improvement after 6 months, and then remained relatively stable between the 6th and 24th month. The mean KSS for pain and function improved statistically at 2 years of follow-up. CONCLUSIONS: This ALMR appears to be an effective and safe treatment for mild and moderate MCKOA.
Authors: David T Felson; Sara McLaughlin; Joyce Goggins; Michael P LaValley; M Elon Gale; Saara Totterman; Wei Li; Catherine Hill; Daniel Gale Journal: Ann Intern Med Date: 2003-09-02 Impact factor: 25.391