What is Joint Arthroscopy?

Arthroscopic surgery is used to diagnose and treat many joint problems. This significant advance in joint care allows for a rapid return to improved activity. Most commonly used in knees, shoulders and ankles, the arthroscope can be used for spine, hips, wrists, and elbows. This photo shows the knee joint. 1. Incisions Created Three small incisions are made around the joint area. Surgical instruments will be positioned in these incisions. 2. Fluid Pumped into Joint A tube-like needle is inserted in one incision. Fluid is pumped through the tube and into the joint. This expands the joint, giving the surgeon a clear view and room to work. The tube will also be used as a drainage needle to regular the amount of fluid in the joint during the procedure. 3. Arthroscope Inserted Through another incision, the surgeon inserts the arthroscope. This instrument has a light and a small video camera that sends images to a TV monitor in the operating room. 4. Joint Examined With the video images from the arthroscope as a guide, the surgeon can look for damaged tissue. If the surgeon sees an opportunity to treat a problem, a variety of small surgical instruments can be inserted through the third small incision. End of Procedure The surgeon may close the incisions with stitches or tape. Recovery from arthroscopy is faster than recovery from traditional open joint surgery. ©2001 Swarm Interactive.