What is tidal lavage?

Tidal lavage is an arthroscopic procedure in which a sterile salt solution is injected into and removed from the joint several times. The patient receives local anesthesia. Tidal lavage often relieves pain and improves joint function for several weeks or months. It is thought that these effects are due to the removal of debris and inflammatory messenger substances in the joint fluid. Another reason for the beneficial effect may be that adhesions in the joint are broken.

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