Clinical results after very early, early and late arthroscopic arthrolysis of the knee.

Purpose Impaired patient outcome can be directly related to a loss of motion of the knee following surgical procedures. If conservative therapy fails, arthroscopic arthrolysis is an effective procedure to improve range of motion (ROM). The purpose of this study was to evaluate the outcome of patients undergoing very early ( 6 months) arthroscopic arthrolysis of the knee. Methods With a follow-up on average at 35.1 ± 15.2 (mean ± SD, 24 to 87) months, 123 patients with post-operative motion loss (> 10° extension deficit/ 6 months, mean 9.8 months) arthroscopic arthrolysis after primary surgery. Results The average ROM increased from 73.9° before to 131.4° after arthroscopic arthrolysis (p 6 months, p Conclusions An arthroscopic arthrolysis is highly effective and leads to good to excellent mid-term results. An early arthroscopic arthrolysis within 6 months after primary surgery leads to significantly improved ROM and functional scores compared to the late arthrolysis (> 6 months).