Evaluating the Effectiveness of Subchondroplasty for Treating Bone Marrow Lesions of the Knee

The investigators hypothesize that patients receiving subchondroplasty combined with arthroscopy will have reduced knee pain, improved knee function, and improved bone quality and micro‐architecture compared to patients receiving arthroscopy alone who have symptomatic early osteoarthritis with the presence of at least one BML observed on MRI. Patients who provide informed consent to enroll in the study will be scheduled for knee surgery and randomized to receive subchondroplasty and arthroscopy or arthroscopy alone. Knee function outcomes will be assessed at initial presentation, 3 months, 6 months, 12 months, and 24 months following surgical intervention. Patient‐reported pain will also be recorded at 2 weeks following surgical intervention. The evaluation of bone quality and micro‐architecture will occur at baseline, 3 months, and 12 months following surgical intervention. X‐rays will also be evaluated at the 24‐month time‐point.