First year's experience of day-case arthroscopy in diagnosis and management of disorders of the knee joint.

Clinical data and questionnaires were obtained for 130 patients with knee disorders admitted to a new day-case unit in a district general hospital in the year from Oct 1, 1981, under the care of one surgeon. A third of the 148 knees investigated had more than one pathological lesion, and in 18% the arthroscopic diagnosis differed from the preoperative diagnosis. Intra-articular arthroscopic surgery was carried out on 59% of knees; only 12% of operations took more than 60 min. The time before return to normal everyday activities, work, and sport was much shorter than after arthrotomy. Postanaesthetic sickness or poor communication with staff were the only causes of discontent, and 93% of the patients were pleased with day-case treatment. With the day-case facilities the number of patients admitted for arthroscopic investigation and treatment of knee disorders has trebled and the waiting-list time has been halved.