Surgery for osteoarthritis

Surgery for osteoarthritis (OA) is generally reserved for patients who find non-surgical options ineffective. Surgery aims to reduce or eliminate pain and restore function and there are many ways to achieve this. The choice should be tailored to the needs of the patient with particular reference to the specific joint affected and the degree of pathological change. Surgical treatments for OA covered in this article include arthroscopic debridement, osteotomy, arthrodesis and arthroplasty. Whilst arthroplasty or joint replacement has been a great success and has revolutionized the outcome for patients severely disabled by OA, there remains a role for other modalities. The future will see further enhancement of surgical solutions both by technique and by technological improvements. Particularly, solutions will emerge combining implants, biomolecules and cells further enhancing indication and performance.