Are you scheduled for arthroscopic knee surgery?

Your doctor is conducting a research study, one on the kind of orthopedic surgery Fort Lauderdale patients undergo, in order to evaluate three different options for repairing damaged cartilage in the knee.

If you qualify for the study, you will be randomly (like flipping a coin) assigned to receive one of three standard treatments for your damaged cartilage. These are:

• Lavage Debridement — washing of the kneejoint with saline solution to clear blood, fluid or loose tissue

• Mechanical shaver — in addition to Lavage,a manual surgical tool called the mechanical shaver will be used to remove areas ofdamaged cartilage

• Paragon ® device — in addition to Lavage, a surgical tool which uses radio frequency (RF)energy, the Paragon device, will be used to remove areas of damaged cartilage.

Currently, all three of these methods are used to treat damaged cartilage and it is not known if one of these methods is better than the others.

The study requires 4 visits to the study center over a 2 year period. Knee examination and evaluation will be performed by your doctor at every study visit. You will be asked to complete pain and quality of life questionnaires and will have 3 MRIs after surgery to evaluate the cartilage in your knee.

By participating in this study, you may receive the same treatment you would receive if you did not participate in the study.

To qualify for this study, you must:

• Be between the ages of 18 and 60

• Be scheduled for arthroscopic knee surgery to repair a torn meniscus

• Have no major problems with your opposite knee

• Have knee pain of 3 or greater on a scale of 0 to 10 (zero=no pain, ten=greatest pain)

Are there additional risks to participating in this study?

The risks of this study are the same as those expected in any standard arthroscopic knee surgery. Speak with your doctor to understand the risks that accompany these procedures.

What are the costs of this study?

If you have health insurance, there will be no extra costs to you beyond the care you would normally receive to treat your condition.

All MRIs required after surgery will be paid for by the study sponsor, as these are not usually covered by insurance carriers post-operatively.

Call 954-400-5544 for more information on the kind of orthopedic surgery Fort Lauderdale researchers are focusing on. If you think you may be eligible for study participation or want more information about becoming a research hero, please call us, fill out the Request an Appointment form above, or email us at info@shrockresearch.com.