Objective: To investigate the influence of arthroscopic knee debridement on joint range of motion, gait and complications in patients with knee osteoarthritis (KOA). Methods: Totally 59 patients with KOA in the hospital were selected from January 2022 to December 2024, and were divided into control group (29 cases, arthroscopic extensive debridement) and study group (30 cases, arthroscopic minimally invasive limited debridement) according to different surgical methods. The joint range of motion [range of motion (ROM) scale scores] and gait (step length, step frequency, step speed) of KOA patients in the two groups were observed before treatment and at 3 months after treatment, and the complications of KOA patients during treatment were compared. Results: At 3 months after treatment, the ROM scores of KOA patients in the two groups were higher than those in the same group before treatment, and the scores in study group were higher than those in control group (P<0.05). Compared with before treatment, the step length, step frequency and step speed in the two groups of KOA patients were increased at 3 months after treatment, and the above indicators were higher in study group than those in control group (P<0.05). There was no statistical difference in the total incidence rate of complications (joint infection, joint swelling, nerve injury, joint effusion and hemorrhage, etc.) between study group and control group (P>0.05). Conclusion: Arthroscopic minimally invasive limited debridement for KOA patients can positively affect the joint range of motion and gait and reduce the occurrence of complications.