Patient Info

What is arthroscopic surgery

The American Academy of Orthopedic Surgeons provides this description: “Arthroscopy is a surgical procedure orthopaedic surgeons use to visualize, diagnose, and treat problems inside a joint.

In an arthroscopic examination, the 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. The arthroscope is attached to a miniature television camera, and the surgeon is thereby 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 actually displays the image of the joint on a television screen, allowing the surgeon to look, for example, throughout the ankle or knee. The surgeon can then determine the amount or type of injury as well as repair or correct the problem, if it is necessary.