Common Knee Surgery Often Hurts More Than Helps

A popular fix for aching knees may be setting many patients up for more trouble, not less. A decade-long Finnish study of people with age-related meniscus tears found arthroscopic surgery to trim the damaged cartilage didn't outperform sham surgery—and was tied to faster arthritis and more follow-up operations, often full knee replacements. Three times as many surgery patients ultimately underwent a total knee replacement, per Medscape. "I don't know how I would defend this procedure at all," said study author Teppo Järvinen, who noted that patients who had the surgery also reported more pain over time, per CBS News.

The research, published in the New England Journal of Medicine, applies to middle-aged and older adults with degenerative tears, not acute injuries. It adds weight to years of data suggesting that, for this group, the operation offers little more benefit than physical therapy. Use of the procedure has plunged in Finland but is declining only gradually in the US, where practice varies sharply by region and financial incentives may play a role. Orthopedic groups now generally advise trying non-surgical options first, even as debates continue—and new, often pricier treatments, from meniscus repairs to injections, crowd the menu before knee replacement becomes the final stop.