A comparative study of the efficacy of arthroscopic surgery and conservative treatment of gouty knee arthritis

Abstract

Objective To study the clinical effect of arthroscopic knee joint cleansing for gouty knee arthritis.Methods A total of 80 patients with gouty knee arthritis treated in our hospital from January 2017 to December 2018 were selected. Among them, 42 patients underwent arthroscopic knee debridement in addition to drug treatment, and the other 38 patients were treated conservatively (medicine, physiotherapy, acupuncture and other treatments were given depending on the diagnosis and treatment guidelines).The knee joint VAS score and Lysholm score of all patients were collected before surgery (for conservatively treated patients at the initial visit) and after surgery (after the initial visit) at 1 and 12 months.Results In the arthroscopic surgery group, the VAS score and Lysholm score at the first month after operation was 4.45±0.90, 70.07±8.34, and the VAS score and Lysholm score at the 12th month after operation was 2.35±0.91, 80.59±10.55. The postoperative VAS score and Lysholm score of the arthroscopy group were significantly different from those before the operation (P<0.05).In the conservative treatment group, the VAS score and Lysholm score at the first month after treatment was 5.69±0.93, 58.61±12.12, and the VAS score and Lysholm score at the 12th month after treatment was 3.09±1.02, 70.42±9.54. The VAS score and Lysholm score of the conservative treatment group were significantly changed after treatment (P＜0.05).However, throughout the follow-up period, the arthroscopic surgery group scored more significant changes than the conservative treatment group, while the arthroscopic surgery group had more significant changes in the first month after treatment (P<0.05).Conclusion Arthroscopic knee joint cleansing is more effective in treating gouty knee arthritis than conservative treatment, and it has an obvious effect early after surgery.