Arthroscopy is a procedure for diagnosing and treating joint problems. A surgeon inserts a narrow tube attached to a fiber-optic video camera through a small incision — about the size of a buttonhole. The view inside your joint is transmitted to a high-definition video monitor.
Arthroscopy allows the surgeon to see inside your joint without making a large incision. Surgeons can even repair some types of joint damage during arthroscopy, with pencil-thin surgical instruments inserted through additional small incisions.
Surgical procedures : Conditions treated with arthroscopy include:
- Meniscal injuries to the knee
- ACL (anterior Cruciate ligament tear)
- Loose bone fragments in the Knee and Shoulder
- Damaged or torn cartilage in the shoulder
- Rotator Cuff injuries of the Shoulder
- Recurrent Dislocation of the shoulder
- Impingement syndromes of the Ankle and Hip·
Knee arthroscopy
Knee arthroscopy is surgery that uses a tiny camera to look inside the knee joint. Small cuts are made to insert the camera and small surgical tools into the knee for the procedure.
Two or three small incisions are made around the knee. Saline is pumped into the knee to stretch the knee joint. A narrow tube with a tiny camera on the end is inserted through one of the incisions. The camera is attached to a video monitor that lets the surgeon see inside the knee.
The surgeon may put other small surgical tools inside the knee joint and correct the problem inside the joint.
At the end of your surgery, the saline is drained from the knee. The surgeon will close the incisions with sutures and cover them with a dressing.
Why the Procedure Is Performed
Arthroscopy may be recommended for these knee problems:
- Torn Meniscus: Meniscus is the cartilage that cushions the space between the bones in the knee. Surgery is done to repair or remove it.
- Torn or damaged
- Anterior Cruciate Ligament (ACL)
- Posterior Cruciate Ligament (PCL)
- Swollen damaged lining of the joint called the synovium.
- Small pieces of broken cartilage in the knee joint
Please feel free to talk to the Consultants at the National Sports medicine Center if you have been advised Arthroscopic procedures or would like to know details about the procedure.