Knee Treatments: Be Cautious According to New Study

Oct. 13 -- During the course of a life, knees take a lot of punishment.

Besides the strain placed on the cartilage pads while walking, athletes can accelerate damage by overusing the joints that carry tremendous stress.

This wear and tear damage is called osteoarthritis, as opposed to rheumatoid arthritis, a joint-destroying auto-immune disorder.

Whether young or old, osteoarthritic knee joints can fill with cartilage fragments that rub against bones, inflaming the complicated biological hinges and producing pain.

Physicians consider the optimal treatment for the condition. Some favor physical therapy and medication to ease discomfort. Many orthopedists prefer to perform arthroscopic surgery, which involves insertion of instruments into the joint to remove cartilage fragments and smooth rough edges.

A study of 92 patients by researchers at the University of Western Ontario and published recently in the New England Journal of Medicine, apparently gives ammunition to practitioners who treat knees most conservatively.

The Canadian scientists concluded that arthroscopic surgery provides no benefit over "optimized physical and medical therapy."