Australian Orthopaedic Surgeon Recommends Non-Surgical Management for Knee Osteoarthritis

August 30, 2024 TruthUSA

Other conservative management approaches have been shown to be safe and effective.

Australian knee osteoarthritis patients are advised to reconsider knee replacement surgery as more conservative management approaches have been found to be safe and effective.

Updated clinical care standards for knee osteoarthritis have raised concerns about the increasing rates of unnecessary knee surgeries and imaging tests.

Before the updated guidelines (pdf) were published by the Australian Commission on Safety and Quality in Health Care (ACSQHC) on Aug. 15, knee replacement surgery was often viewed as the default treatment option for knee osteoarthritis.

The new guidelines emphasize physical activity and weight management as effective treatment options for knee osteoarthritis.

Dr. Chris Vertullo, an experienced orthopaedic surgeon involved in reviewing the standards, highlighted the importance of appropriate management before rushing into surgical solutions.

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“Nine out of 10 people with knee osteoarthritis can manage without needing joint replacement surgery,” it states.

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Under Australia’s Medicare Benefits Scheme (MBS), eligible patients can access up to five allied health services per calendar year, including physiotherapy and exercise physiology, for chronic disease management arrangements on referral from their GP. At the same time, eligible First Nations patients can access up to ten allied health services per calendar year.

The MBS Review Advisory Committee is currently reviewing whether changes to the number of available services should be made, a spokesperson for the Department of Health and Aged Care told The Epoch Times.

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