Table 4

Summary of findings for the complications of knee arthroscopy versus control in patients with degenerative knee disease

Outcome Timeframe	Study results and measurements	Absolute effect estimates		Certainty in effect estimates (Quality of evidence)	Summary
Outcome Timeframe	Study results and measurements	Conservative management	Arthroscopy	Certainty in effect estimates (Quality of evidence)	Summary
Mortality 3 months	Based on data from 454 086 patients in 7 studies Follow-up 3 months	0 Per 1000	0 Per 1000	Low Owing to serious risk of bias and serious inconsistency	Arthroscopy may have an extremely small risk of mortality
Mortality 3 months		Difference: <1 more per 1000 (95% CI 0 more—1 more)		Low Owing to serious risk of bias and serious inconsistency	Arthroscopy may have an extremely small risk of mortality
Venous thromboembolism 3 months	Based on data from 1 119 920 patients in 11 studies Follow-up 3 months	0 per 1000	5 per 1000	Low Owing to serious risk of bias, owing to serious inconsistency	Arthroscopy may have a small risk for venous thromboembolism
Venous thromboembolism 3 months		Difference: 5 more per 1000 (95% CI 2 more—10 more)
Infection 3 months	Based on data from 603 838 patients in 5 studies Follow-up 3 months	0 per 1000	2 per 1000	Low Owing to serious risk of bias, owing to serious inconsistency	Arthroscopy may have a very small risk for infection
Infection 3 months		Difference: 2 more per 1000 (95% CI 1 more—4 more)			Arthroscopy may have a very small risk for infection
Nerve damage 3 months	Based on data from 12 426 patients in one study Follow-up 3 months	0 Per 1000	0 Per 1000	Low Owing to serious risk of bias, owing to serious indirectness	Arthroscopy may have an extremely small risk of nerve damage
Nerve damage 3 months		Difference: <1 more per 1000 (95% CI 0 more—1 more)