Arthroscopic adhesiolysis of the knee joint in arthrofibrosis.

Arthroscopically assisted adhesiolysis is a relatively new method for the treatment of arthrofibrosis of the knee. It is as effective as other known techniques and has the advantage of being minimally traumatic to the joint and the surrounding soft tissues. The operative method is presented here, together with three case reports of patients representing part of a series of 10 patients treated in our ward by arthroscopic adhesiolysis. Results, which were very favorable--average flexion improved 72 degrees and average extension improved 12 degrees--were stable over time, and all patients were pain-free at follow-up. Our experience supports previous positive reports concerning this additional mode of treatment for arthrofibrosis.