Joint Arthroscopy
Arthroscopy is a surgical procedure orthopaedic surgeons use to visualize, diagnose, and treat problems inside a joint such as a shoulder or knee.
The word arthroscopy comes from two Greek words, “arthro” (joint) and “skopein” (to look). The term literally means “to look within the joint.”
In an arthroscopic examination, an orthopaedic surgeon makes a small incision in the patient’s skin and then inserts pencil-sized instruments that contain a small lens and lighting system to magnify and illuminate the structures inside the joint. Light is transmitted through fiber optics to the end of the arthroscope that is inserted into the joint.
Here are parts of the shoulder joint as seen through an arthroscope: the rotator cuff (RC), the head for the humerus (HH), and the biceps tendon (B).
By attaching the arthroscope to a miniature television camera, the surgeon is able to see the interior of the joint through this very small incision rather than a large incision needed for surgery.
The television camera attached to the arthroscope displays the image of the joint on a television screen, allowing the surgeon to look, for example, throughout the knee. This lets the surgeon see the cartilage, ligaments, and under the kneecap. The surgeon can determine the amount or type of injury and then repair or correct the problem, if it is necessary.
In the knee joint arthroscopy is utilized to address a myriad of issues such as torn ligaments, torn cartliage, torn meniscus, addressing chronic Baker’s cysts, too loose or too tight ligaments, and treating recurrent patella dislocations. While in the knee if a isolated chondral lesion is found your surgeon may utilize microfracture drilling to encourage stabilization.
