Conditions

Some of the conditions that are commonly treated with arthroscopic procedures include:

→ Inflammation: For example, synovitis is a condition that causes the tissues surrounding the knee, shoulder, elbow, wrist, and ankle joint to become inflamed.

→ Acute or chronic injuries, including:

→ Loose bodies of bone and/or cartilage, particularly in the knee, shoulder, elbow, ankle, or wrist

Procedure & Treatments

Arthroscopic surgery, although much easier in terms of recovery than open surgery, still requires the use of anesthetics and the special equipment in a hospital operating room or outpatient surgical suite. You will be given a general, spinal, or a local anesthetic, depending on the joint or suspected problem.

A small incision (about the size of a buttonhole) will be made to insert the arthroscope. Several other incisions may be made to see other parts of the joint or insert other instruments.

• Trimming a torn meniscus of the knee
• Repairing a torn meniscus of the knee
• Treatment of cartilage damage of the knee
• Treatment of shoulder bursitis
• Repair of the rotator cuff in the shoulder
• Treatment of labral tears in the shoulder

Corrective surgery is performed with specially designed instruments that are inserted into the joint through accessory incisions. Originally, arthroscopy was simply a diagnostic tool used for planning standard open surgery. However, with the development of better instrumentation and surgical techniques, many conditions can now be treated with arthroscopic techniques.