Is the evidence base for popular knee operations really scandalously poor?

Orthopaedic surgeons and their patients will be dismayed to read that operations such as arthroscopic meniscal surgery and anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) reconstruction are of no proven benefit. 1 Lohmander and Roos use two randomised controlled trials, which have been critically reviewed and thei...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:BMJ (Online) 2015-01, Vol.350 (jan28 17), p.h429-h429
Main Author: Chitnavis, Jai
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
EVIDENCE BASE FOR ORTHOPAEDICS AND SPORTS MEDICINE
Evidence-Based Medicine
Humans
Knee
Orthopedics
Patients
Skin & tissue grafts
Sports Medicine
Surgery
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Summary:Orthopaedic surgeons and their patients will be dismayed to read that operations such as arthroscopic meniscal surgery and anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) reconstruction are of no proven benefit. 1 Lohmander and Roos use two randomised controlled trials, which have been critically reviewed and their limitations highlighted, to support their argument. 2 3 For example, from a cohort of patients avoiding ACL reconstruction, 39% defaulted and underwent surgery within two years of the incident injury. 4 And those deferring ACL reconstruction were also significantly more likely to need meniscectomy over that period. 5 Knee surgery is rarely mandatory for soft tissue injury.
ISSN:0959-8138
1756-1833
1756-1833
DOI:10.1136/bmj.h429