--- title: "Will a fake surgery fix your knees?" entity: "blog" canonical_url: "https://www.betterknees.com/blog/willfakesurgeryfixyourknees" markdown_url: "https://www.betterknees.com/llms/blog/willfakesurgeryfixyourknees" lastmod: "2025-06-25T21:23:00.000Z" --- Many people think surgery will fix their knees and sometimes that’s true. But what if the surgery is fake? Does it still work, and if so, why? In a [scientific study](https://www.nejm.org/doi/10.1056/NEJMoa013259?url_ver=Z39.88-2003&rfr_id=ori:rid:crossref.org&rfr_dat=cr_pub%20%200www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov) published over 20 years ago – one that still blows most people’s minds – researchers chose 180 people with knee osteoarthritis. All the patients had these traits: - < 76 years old; - experiencing at least moderate knee pain (≥4 on a scale of 0 to 10) for at least 6 months; & - had not undergone knee surgery within the previous 2 years. They were randomly assigned to a surgery group or a placebo group. And they didn’t know which one they were in. ## 3 types of “Surgery” 61 patients were in the surgery group that received lavage – flushing out the inside of their knee with over 2 ½ gallons of fluid. (This has been thought to remove painful debris inside the knee.) 59 patients underwent surgical debridement – trimming and smoothing out rough areas of their cartilage, including their meniscus, along with the lavage described above. And the 60 patients in the placebo group underwent a simulated surgery: - They had three 1 cm incisions made in their skin (the same ones were used for those undergoing lavage and lavage plus debridement). - The surgeons asked for all the surgical instruments and moved their knee around as if they were performing a surgery, but nothing was inserted into their knee. People in all three groups stayed in the hospital overnight and were cared for by nurses who didn’t know what type of surgery (or fake surgery) they received. People in all three groups received similar walking aids (such as crutches or walkers), exercise programs, and took similar types and amounts of pain relievers. ## The Results? Assessments were performed by researchers who didn’t know which surgery or fake surgery each person underwent. These assessments occurred at 2 weeks, 6 weeks, 3 months, 6 months, 12 months, 18 months, and 24 months following the surgeries or fake surgery. Patients were evaluated for the speed at which they walked 100 feet, and the speed at which they climbed up and down a flight of stairs. Patients also self-reported their pain levels and physical functioning via standardized questionnaires. The results were unexpected. At no point did either surgery group have better physical functioning than the fake surgery group. And there were times during the two years following the “surgeries” that those who underwent the fake surgery performed better in terms of their day-to-day functioning. Moreover, neither surgery group had more pain relief than the fake surgery group. ([source](https://www.nejm.org/doi/10.1056/NEJMoa013259?url_ver=Z39.88-2003&rfr_id=ori:rid:crossref.org&rfr_dat=cr_pub%20%200www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov)) ### What does all this mean? There was no more benefit to having a lavage or a debridement surgery than there was to having only the surgical incisions. Will surgical incisions alone help your knees? My educated guess is probably not . But what may help your knees is a belief that your knees will get better . If you live with knee pain or arthritis, you're probably no stranger to trying different treatments—some that help, and some that don’t. So when you hear about the placebo effect, it might sound like someone is saying, “Your pain isn’t real.” But that’s not what it means at all. The placebo effect is a real, scientifically studied phenomenon where people experience noticeable relief after receiving a treatment or intervention that is not intended to provide benefits. ([source](https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/26087681/)) This doesn’t mean someone has been fooled or imagining things. It means that your brain and body respond to the expectation of healing . In fact, research has shown that placebos can trigger the brain to release natural pain-relieving chemicals—like endorphins—and even reduce inflammation and stiffness. And for conditions like knee osteoarthritis, those effects can be surprisingly powerful. ([source](https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/18541604/)) So if a treatment makes you feel better, even partly because you believe it might help, that’s not fake—it’s your body responding in a real and beneficial way. I’m going to go out on a limb here and say that no one agrees to have surgery unless they think it may benefit their knees. So if you have knee surgery, you will likely look for evidence to support your belief that you made a good decision. And you may also intentionally (or unintentionally) make decisions that benefit your knees – like avoiding harm immediately after “surgery” & consistently performing recommended exercises. Like the above [knee surgery research](https://www.nejm.org/doi/10.1056/NEJMoa013259?url_ver=Z39.88-2003&rfr_id=ori:rid:crossref.org&rfr_dat=cr_pub%20%200www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov) showed, when you believe you’ll get better, there’s a higher chance that you will. ### Can you be skeptical… and still get better knees? This begs the question whether you need to be confident to get the outcome you desire. It definitely helps to believe in the approach you choose. But what if you’re someone who has tried a lot of things and you’re running out of options? This describes the majority of my clients – like [John](https://youtu.be/vSsVgoGX1DM) who worked with me “as a last ditch attempt to eliminate [knee] pain.” All this to say, it’s still possible to get better knees, even if you’re skeptical . Here's a [guide](https://enjoystrongerknees.com/) to get started: You can access it [here](https://enjoystrongerknees.com/) . For personalized guidance to build [Better Knees](https://betterknees.patientbase.io/services) : Schedule a free 20-minute [Strategy Session](https://TheKelseyGroup.as.me/) . (Find your best time [here](https://TheKelseyGroup.as.me/) .) [Learn more about Laurie Kertz Kelly](/about) Disclaimer: The information in this blog post is for educational and informational purposes only and is not intended as medical advice. It should not be used to diagnose, treat, or prevent any health issue or disease without consulting with a qualified healthcare professional. The author of this blog and the website do not bear any responsibility for any actions taken based on the information provided in this blog.