Are there other surgery options for me?

ARTHROSCOPY — keyhole surgery to clear debris in the knee — used to be common for osteoarthritis, but is now rapidly in decline as NICE has said it doesn’t help. A recent review of 25 studies in The BMJ concluded that the procedure offers no ‘important benefits’, as it neither reduces pain nor improves function and mobility, and carries risks of pain, swelling and difficulty putting weight on the leg. But osteotomy — where bone is added or removed from a damaged joint to shift the weight away from the damaged area — can ‘buy’ most patients ten or 15 years before having a knee replacement. Professor Adrian Wilson, a knee specialist at The Wellington Hospital in London, says osteotomy is the ‘operation of choice’ for people who want to stay active. ‘Wherever possible we advise joint preservation procedures such as osteotomy,’ he says.