To evaluate the clinical outcomes of an arthroscopic 'L' medial release (ALMR) procedure for the treatment of medial compartment knee osteoarthritis (MCKOA).
Between January 2012 and December 2013, 372 patients with MCKOA of Kellgren's radiographic grade I-III were diagnosed. Among them, 252 patients with MCKOA received ALMR performed by a single surgeon. The other 120 patients received supportive treatment and were regarded as the control group. The Knee Society Score (KSS) at baseline and 2 years, and the subjective visual analogue scale (VAS) at baseline and 1st, 2nd, 6th, 12th, and 24th months were used for outcome studies.
There were 286 patients available for follow-up for more than 2 years and the mean follow-up period was 28 months. There were 202 patients with unilateral MCKOA in the ALMR group and 84 in the control group. The mean subjective VAS showed a statistically significant improvement after 6 months, and then remained relatively stable between the 6th and 24th month. The mean KSS for pain and function improved statistically at 2 years of follow-up.
This ALMR appears to be an effective and safe treatment for mild and moderate MCKOA.