To assess the results of treatment in partients receiving long-term hemodialysis, we performed knee arthroscopic surgery. Between January 2000 and January 2001, four patients underwent arthroscopic debridement because of severe gonalgia and knee hydrarthrosis. They consisted of three men and one woman with a mean age of 61 years (range : 45 to 78 years). The mean duration of hemodialysis was 15.5 years (range : 8.0 to 23.8 years), and mean follow-up was 1.6 years (range : 1.5 to 2.2 years). All five knees showed meniscus degeneration tear,moderate synovitis, and two articular cartilage (40%) in the subchondral bone. Pathological findihgs revealed amyloid deposits and ossification in the meniscus and synovium. After arthroscopic synovectomy and menisectomy of the knee, joint effusion decreased with a mean follow-up of 7.2 weeks (range: 1 to 12 weeks), and knee pain decreased with a mean follow-up of 6.4 weeks (range : 1 to 12 weeks). At the final follow-up, there were no gonalgia, joint effusion, and other complications. In the short-term, it can be concluded that arthroscopic debridement is useful for treating hemodialysis knee joints with a low risk of complication.
