Current evidence for treatment of the knee in the middle-aged recreational athlete

Knee pain in middle-aged athletes and older people is often attributed to a meniscal tear, traditionally treated surgically with partial resection. This lecture discusses the development of knee arthroscopy and provides some insight into why placebo surgery can be just as effective. Today, knee arthroscopy is recommended against for this large group of patients in favor of exercise therapy which has been shown to relieve pain, and mechanical symptoms, to a similar degree at a lower cost and without adverse events.