What is arthroscopy?
Arthroscopy is a minimally invasive procedure that orthopedic surgeons use to diagnose and treat problems inside of a joint. Instead of making a large incision, the surgeon inserts a tiny camera called an arthroscope to see inside the joint, allowing them to find and treat issues more effectively, with less pain and faster recovery.
Arthroscopy can help with various joint problems, such as tears in ligaments, tendons or cartilage. The surgeon can repair damaged tissues, remove loose parts or clean out damaged cartilage to improve joint movement and reduce discomfort. Arthroscopy is commonly used to treat joints in the knee, shoulder, hip, elbow, wrist and ankle.
Why would someone need an arthroscopy
Orthopedic surgeons use arthroscopy to diagnose, examine and treat different joint problems, most often in the:
Diagnosis
Arthroscopy can help doctors find the cause of symptoms like joint pain, stiffness, swelling or instability. By looking inside the joint with a small camera, doctors can check for damage to the cartilage, ligaments or other parts, allowing them to utilize innovative treatments to relieve your symptoms and improve joint movement. Although X-rays and MRI scans provide valuable diagnostic information, arthroscopy offers the most detailed examination of the joint, often identifying conditions that are not detected with other imaging tests.
Arthroscopy is a versatile procedure that can be used to examine and treat joints in various parts of the body, including the knee, shoulder, elbow, wrist, hip and ankle. A small camera called an arthroscope is inserted through a tiny incision, giving doctors a clear view of the joint to check for any damage or problems.
Not only can arthroscopy help diagnose issues, arthroscopic procedures can also repair damaged tissues such as cartilage, ligaments or tendons. It's commonly used to treat injuries like torn cartilage or ligament problems. Since it’s minimally invasive, recovery tends to be quicker, with less scarring, compared to traditional surgery.
Treatment
Arthroscopy is a procedure that can treat a range of joint problems with less invasive surgery.
Some of the conditions it can help with include:
- Rotator cuff tears: Damage to the shoulder tendons that can cause pain and weakness.
- Impingement syndrome: When shoulder tendons get irritated or pinched, causing pain and limited movement.
- Cartilage damage: Injury to the cartilage that cushions the joints, leading to discomfort and swelling.
- Ligament tears: Damage to the ligaments that support your joints, causing discomfort and instability.
- Tendon damage: Injury to the tendons that connect muscles to bones, resulting in discomfort or limited movement.
- Loose bone or cartilage: Fragments of bone or cartilage floating in the joint, causing discomfort and restricting motion.
Arthroscopy allows doctors to treat these problems with smaller incisions, which usually means less pain and quicker recovery than traditional surgery.
How to prepare for arthroscopy surgery
Preparing for an arthroscopic procedure is simple. You can help the process go smoothly by following your orthopedic surgeon’s instructions before the procedure.
You should also take the following steps:
- Educate yourself: Review the surgery guide or information packet provided by your orthopedic surgeon.
- Find a driver: Arrange for someone to drive you home after the arthroscopy.
- Quit smoking: Smoking can slow your recovery.
- Take medications as directed: Follow your orthopedic surgeon’s directions about medication use in the hours and days before arthroscopy.
- Watch what you eat and drink: Avoid eating or drinking after midnight on the day of your procedure unless your orthopedic surgeon says it’s okay.
The arthroscopy procedure
Each arthroscopic procedure may be a little different, but here's a general overview of what to expect:
What are the risks of an arthroscopy?
Arthroscopy is one of the most common orthopedic procedures. It’s also quite safe, with complications occurring in fewer than 1% of procedures. Like any procedure, however, arthroscopy carries the risk of complications. Your orthopedic surgeon and the rest of the surgery team will take every precaution to minimize the chance of complications as much as possible.
Complications that can occur due to arthroscopy include:
- Allergic reactions
- Bleeding or swelling
- Breakage of surgical instruments
- Deep vein thrombosis (a blood clot in a vein deep in the body)
- Infections
- Nerve, tissue or blood vessel damage
- Failure of repaired structures
- Joint stiffness
Arthroscopy recovery
Make sure to talk to your doctor or medical team about when you can safely return to your normal activities. Usually, you can go back to work, school and other daily tasks a few days after the procedure. While the small incisions will heal in a few days, it may take weeks or even months for the joint to fully recover, depending on the injury and the type of surgery.
Everyone recovers at their own pace, so you may need more time to heal or do rehabilitation depending on your situation.
Your medical provider will go over the results of your surgery with you as soon as possible. They will also check on your progress at follow-up visits and help with any concerns.