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Sham surgery is a simulated surgical procedure used as a rigorous control condition to evaluate the true efficacy of an operation. In a notable study on osteoarthritis of the knee, control participants received a tranquilizer and small incisions but no actual procedure. These participants demonstrated physiological improvements in knee pain and function equal to those who received the real arthroscopic surgery, powerfully illustrating that physiological disorders can be positively impacted by the placebo effect.

Example of a Placebo Effect: Sham Surgery

In a study on osteoarthritis of the knee, participants who received a simulated surgical procedure—consisting of a tranquilizer and small incisions but no actual operation—showed improvements in knee pain and function that were equal to those of participants who received the real arthroscopic surgery.

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