Débridement and Lavage for Osteoarthritis of the Knee

Approximately 6 percent of the population of the United States 30 years of age or older and 12 percent of those 65 years of age or older have frequent knee pain from osteoarthritis.¹ In part because most patients with this disease have not had great benefit from medical treatments, lavage of the joint through a large needle or lavage and débridement by means of arthroscopy have become popular interventions.In theory, lavage removes debris such as microscopic or macroscopic fragments of cartilage that may induce synovitis,² a likely source of pain.³