Knee surgery patients use fewer opioids and recover more quickly following an innovative “needle” surgical technique, a new study says.
Patients who underwent knee surgery using minimally invasive “needle arthroscopy” needed half the opioids to manage pain the day after their procedure, researchers reported in the February 2026 issue of the Journal of Orthopaedics.
They also reported better early knee function compared to patients who underwent a standard arthroscopic procedure, results show.
“This study reinforces that smaller, less invasive approaches can make a meaningful difference in how patients experience recovery,” lead researcher Dr. Chad Lavender, an assistant professor of orthopedic surgery at the Marshall University Joan C. Edwards School of Medicine in Huntington, West Virginia, said in a news release.
For the study, researchers treated 41 patients with needle arthroscopy and another 40 with normal arthroscopic surgery. The patients all required surgery to clean up torn cartilage in their knees.
Needle arthroscopy uses a small, needle-like scope to perform knee surgery, researchers said in background notes. The tiny tube, equipped with a light and camera, is inserted into a small incision at the knee.
A needle arthroscope is around 1.9 millimeters in diameter, compared to the 4-millimeter scope used in traditional arthroscopy, Yale Medicine says.
Patients can remain wide awake through needle arthroscopic surgery, using only a local anesthetic to numb the joint, Yale noted.
Results showed that patients treated with needle arthroscopy needed about 1.3 opioid pills to manage their pain during the day after surgery, compared with 2.7 pills for those treated with traditional arthroscopy.
Both groups recovered similarly after six weeks, but those treated with needle arthroscopy benefited from less discomfort and a quicker return to activity, researchers said.
“By reducing post-operative pain and the need for opioid medications, we can help patients return to their normal lives faster while supporting broader efforts to combat opioid dependency,” Lavender said.