Operative arthroscopy. A preliminary report.

The results of 241 surgical arthroscopies, including 101 meniscectomies, 49 lateral releases, 35 excisions of loose bodies, and 56 miscellaneous procedures performed over a period of three years, are presented in this preliminary report. Among the advantages of the technique are a shorter hospital stay, rapid rehabilitation, and the absence of an unsightly scar. Very few complications occurred in the series. Although long-term results are not yet available, the average one-and-a-half year follow-up yielded more than 80 percent excellent to good results among this group of patients.