The use of arthroscopy for follow-up in knee joint surgery.

Fifty-three joints in 48 patients were examined arthroscopically after surgery in order to evaluate postoperative results and particularly to reveal the causes of poor results. The chief arthroscopic findings in unsatisfactory cases were the following: recurrence of synovitis or osteoarthritic changes after synovectomy for rheumatoid arthritis, residual meniscal or osteoarthritic changes after meniscectomy, loose ligamentous or meniscal lesions after ligamentous repair or reconstruction, and poor regeneration of cartilage after high tibial osteotomy.