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Common elective knee surgery shows no benefit in long-term trial
In the 10-year FIDELITY trial, x-rays showed osteoarthritis progressed in 81% of patients who had surgery, versus 70% in the sham group.
Insurance Business highlights long-term evidence from randomized trials suggesting that some routine elective procedures deliver limited or no added benefit beyond time and bedside care.
According to the outlet, Finnish researchers reported 10-year results from the FIDELITY trial, which followed 146 adults with degenerative meniscus tears assigned to partial meniscectomy or a sham procedure. After a decade, the real operation showed no advantage on primary outcomes, with patients doing slightly worse, and osteoarthritis progression visible on x-rays in 81% of the surgery group compared with 70% of the sham group.
Insurance Business also points to broader trial evidence, citing a 2022 JAMA Network Open analysis that pooled 100 randomized trials covering 32 surgical interventions and nearly 10,700 patients. It found that, on average, about two-thirds of the improvement patients felt after surgery came from factors other than the procedure itself, underscoring why employer health plans are a key part of the conversation as renewals near in 2027.