What does surgery do?

Osteoarthritis can be compared to a pothole in the road. Over time, the more cars go over it, the worse it gets. Currently, we do not have any medications that can fill the "hole" or restore the cushions. Some surgeons advocate smoothing the joint using an arthroscope. This, at best, is temporary and generally not effective as it does not address the problem. Joint replacement surgeries resurface the joints and have been very effective.