The Impact of Arthroscopy on Surgical Decision-Making and Outcomes in Osteoarthritis Patients Undergoing Unicompartmental Knee Arthroplasty

Background and objective Although unicompartmental knee arthroplasty (UKA) is a minimally invasive procedure, its application is limited due to strict criteria related to indications. In clinical practice, the aid of procedures such as arthroscopy is occasionally required to determine the surgical indication and thereby improve prognosis. In light of this, this study aimed to evaluate the impact of intraoperative arthroscopy on surgical decision-making in osteoarthritis (OA) patients and the prognosis of patients undergoing UKA. Methodology The clinical records of patients diagnosed with knee OA who underwent knee arthroplasty between January 2017 and January 2020 were retrospectively analyzed. The inclusion criteria were as follows: patients with radiographic evidence of single-compartmental Kellgren-Lawrence (KL) grade 3 or 4 knee OA but presenting symptoms of persistent multicompartmental knee pain or locking for at least six months, with a history of anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) injury or meniscus tear. They had undergone either UKA or total knee arthroplasty (TKA). Data on clinical characteristics and outcomes at baseline and during follow-up were collected. Results A total of 429 patients were included in the study. Patients who underwent arthroscopy were more likely to undergo UKA surgery than those who did not (p<0.05). Among patients who underwent UKA, no instances of blood transfusion during hospitalization or postoperative complications were reported, regardless of whether arthroscopy was performed or not. Although the overall Western Ontario and McMaster Universities Osteoarthritis Index (WOMAC) scores and Knee Society Functional Score (KSFS) did not differ between the two groups, the Knee Society Score (KSS) was significantly higher in patients who underwent arthroscopy (88.77 ±5.09) compared to those who did not (85.53 ±5.11). Similarly, the arthroscopy group had a higher overall Forgotten Joint Score (FJS) (44.6 ±4.20) than the UKA-only group (42.05 ±3.58). Conclusion Arthroscopy findings can assist in surgical decision-making for OA patients. Performing arthroscopy and UKA simultaneously is relatively safe and may be associated with favorable outcomes.