The efficacy of the knee arthroscopic debridement for patients with degenerative osteoarthritis of the knee is still a controversial issue. In order to clarify the indications of the knee arthroscopic debridement, the effect of the arthroscopic debridement on the degree of the knee osteoarthritis is studied. A retrospective analysis is made for patients with knee osteoarthritis, after the arthroscopic debridement in the department of orthopedics of Beijing Tiantan Hospital from September 2011 to September 2016. According to the Kellgren-Lawrence (K-L) classification, the knee osteoarthritis patients are divided into four groups from degrees I to IV and are followed up after the surgery. It is found that the Oxford Knee Score (OKS), the Knee Injury and Osteoarthritis Outcome Score (KOOS), and the Numeric Pain Rating Scale in the four groups are significantly improved post-operatively after 6 months and 1 year. After 3 years post-operatively, for patients of degrees I and II, the scores are also significantly improved. However, no significant difference is observed for patients of degree III and the scores are even decreased for patients of degree IV after 3 year post-operatively. Our study indicates that the arthroscopic knee arthroplasty has a good effect in the early and middle postoperative period for patients of knee osteoarthritis of K-L degrees I and II. For patients of severe osteoarthritis of K-L degrees III and IV, the clinical symptoms can be partially alleviated in the early stage, but the mid-term efficacy is not satisfactory.

knee joint  /  osteoarthritis  /  arthroscopic debridement  /  Kellgren-Lawrence classification