Surgeons respond to growing evidence by performing less knee arthroscopic surgery in older patients.

Background: Recent research has shown that knee arthroscopy does not provide a meaningful clinical benefit for degenerative knee changes in the older population. The 2016 Australian Orthopaedic Association (AOA) Annual Scientific Meeting held a plenary session on this topic to educate surgeons about these research findings and communicate their clinical practice statement on this issue. This paper set out to find if there has been a change in clinical practice since this meeting.

Methods: The analysis consisted of all knee arthroscopies performed in a single city of Far North Queensland, Australia, over an 8-year period. The number and type of arthroscopies performed in patients <50 and ≥50 years of age was compared before and after the 2016 AOA plenary session.

Results: After the 2016 AOA educational session, there was a significant reduction in the number of debridement procedures performed in patients aged 50 years or older (275 vs. 142 per year, P < 0.01) but not in patients under 50 years of age (192 vs. 135 per year, P = 0.91). The annual number of repair procedures for all ages combined, increased from 11 per year to 60 per year (P < 0.01).

Conclusion: The surgeons of this city have changed their knee arthroscopy clinical practice in line with the evidence and advice from their professional body.