Research Calls Into Question the Need for Knee Surgery

Treatment for bum knees may involve surgery less often following the publication of two scientific reports that question the value of arthroscopy and knee replacement for some common conditions. The more recent report is a treatment guideline published this week in The BMJ, formerly the British Medical Journal. The guideline says that knee arthroscopy should be avoided in almost all patients with arthritic knees, even if the degenerative disease is accompanied by a tear in the meniscus, mechanical symptoms such as locking of the joint or a sudden onset of symptoms such as pain or sw...