Arthroscopic Debridement of the Knee
This is a ‘spring cleaning’ of the knee. Loose flaps of chondral cartilage are removed, meniscal tears are trimmed, loose pieces are removed, crystals are washed out of the knee, the synovium is resected if necessary and the knee is washed out.
If there has been a recent sudden change in your symptoms which are not settling with standard non surgical management then an arthroscopic debridement is likely to help you because you probably have a new meniscal tear or cartilage injury.
The debridement is much more unreliable if you have had a gradual deterioration in your symptoms. In my experience only 60-70% of patients are happy after a debridement with chronic rather than acute symptoms. Those that do get relief often find that their knee feels better for up to 2 years. Unfortunately about 10% of patients go on to have a total knee replacement within a year.