IP Journal of Surgery and Allied Sciences 2023;5(1):18–23
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IP Journal of Surgery and Allied Sciences
Journal homepage: https://www.jsas.co.in/
Original Research Article
Role of arthroscopic knee lavage supplemented with intra-articular methy l
prednisolone in osteoarthritis of knees
Dheeraj Makkar
1,
*, Rakesh Sharma
2
, Sohan Singh
2
1
Dept. of Orthopedic, N.C. Medical College, Israna, Haryana, India
2
Dept. of Orthopedic, Government Medical College, Amritsar, Punjab, India
ARTICLE INFO
Article history:
Received 05-04-2023
Accepted 28-04-2023
Available online 15-05-2023
Keywords:
Osteoarthritis
Knee lavage
Methyl prednisolone
Arthroscopy
ABSTRACT
Introduction: Pain, swelling, and stiffness in the knee joint due to degenerative knee disease (osteoarthritis
in the knee, which affects the joint lining and menisci) are among the most prevalent causes of difficulty
walking. Damage to the cartilage in the knee joint leads to increased friction and, in extreme situations, the
development of new bone. It is widely prevalent in our country due to predominance of kneeling and other
cultural habits.
Purpose of the Study: We hypothesized that if we could remove the debris of the cartilage and other
degenerative tissue through knee lavage it would relieve the joint pain and stiffness. We further decided to
augment this treatment with intra articular methyl prednisolone 80 mg to decrease the inflammation of the
synovium and provide a prolonged relief.
Materials and Methods: All patients will undergo arthroscopic knee lavage with 3000 milliliters of
ringer lactate solution under sterile conditions in the operating room.As a local anesthetic, 10 milliliter of
lignocaine 2% was used. Eighty milligrams of methyl prednisolone were injected through the arthroscopic
cannula at the conclusion of the procedure. The patient was sent home with stringent activity restrictions
for only 24 hours. For seven days following surgery, patients were prescribed a moderate analgesic and an
antibiotic. After a week, the bandage was removed and a band-aid was affixed for the remaining five days.
At 1 month, 3 months, and 6 months, patients were contacted for evaluation and the pre operative and post
operative pain scales were compared.
Results: Patients with Kellgren and Lawrence grade 3 osteoarthritis reported a statistically significant
improvement in pain relief from pre- to post-operative VAS scores (p 0.05) after three months, and 67
percent reported good or excellent results after six months.
Conclusion: Knee lavage with methyl prednisolone 80mg under local anesthesia is an effective treatment
option for patients with grades 1, 2, and 3 osteoarthritis who are unable to undergo surgery for economic
or medical reasons or who have a substantial NSAIDS requirement.
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1. Introduction 1
Osteoarthritis also known osteoarthrosis degenerative joint 2
disease and degenerative arthritis is a heterogeneous group 3
of disorders that results in articular cartilage degeneration. 4
It characterized by disturbance of smooth property of 5
* Corresponding author.
E-mail address: Makkardheeraj@gmail.com (D. Makkar).
cartilage resulting in formation of subchondral cysts and 6
marginal osteophytes. These processes continue until the 7
full thickness of cartilage is lost and bone is left exposed. 8
It is not a single disease entity but a final common pattern of 9
joint failure. 10
Keuttner and Goldberg described osteoarthritis as a 11
group of overlapping diseases which may have different 12
etiologies, but with similar biological, morphological and 13
https://doi.org/10.18231/j.jsas.2023.005
2582-6387/© 2023 Innovative Publication, All rights reserved. 18