Arthroscopy tech assessment
This article was originally published in The Gray Sheet
Executive Summary
CMS will determine by Jan. 8 the indications for which arthroscopic lavage and/or debridement are "reasonable and necessary" for treating osteoarthritis of the knee, based on a review of data published in The New England Journal of Medicine suggesting the procedures are no more effective than placebo (1"The Gray Sheet" Sept. 2, 2002, p. 6). In early December, the Veterans Administration plans to release an internal review of whether recent study findings warrant limited coverage of the procedure...