Researchers have just found that knee arthroscopy surgery, a surgical procedure to relieve knee joint problems, is of no use.

According to The Washington Post, 178 men and women took part in a study aimed to establish the effectiveness of the surgical procedure. It was found that the effect arthroscopy surgery had on patients was the same with the effect of physical therapy and medication to reduce inflammation.

Brian Feagan of the University of Western Ontario believes the study’s findings are a strong proof of the uselessness of the surgical procedure. Therefore, “patients should not be undergoing it," he said.

Every year, knee arthroscopy surgeries are performed on hundreds of thousands of Americans to treat arthritis. An estimated 27 U.S. residents suffer from osteoarthritis, a main cause of disability. The cost of the procedure is roughly $7,000.

The surgery involves introducing instruments through small incisions in the skin in order to repair injuries to tissues like ligaments, cartilage, or bone within the knee joint area. In addition to this, the operation, which is conducted with the aid of an arthroscope, smoothes the surfaces of the joints.

In fact, some would rather experience physical therapy than surgery. "A lot of people would prefer physical therapy, and their doctors would as well," stated said Dr. E. Anthony Rankin, spokesman for the Rosemont-based American Academy of Orthopedic Surgeons.

The results of the study were published in the New England Journal of Medicine.