Arthroscopy

Until recently, surgery on the inside of any joint meant making a large incision and opening the joint to do even the most minor procedure. Twenty years ago, fiber optics began changing orthopaedic medicine and is continuing to change how modern orthopedic surgeons operate on joints in the body. Arthroscopy is used to diagnose and treat many joint problems at Southwest Orthopaedic Surgery Specialists.

What is Arthroscopy?

The term arthroscopy basically means to look into the joint. Arthro means joint, and scopy means look. So the common phrase "scope the joint" means to insert an arthroscope into the joint and have a look. Before the development of the arthroscope, surgeons would have to cut into a joint in order to take a look.

Over the past several years, the development of very small video cameras and specialized instruments have allowed surgeons to do more than simply take a look into the joint. Arthroscopy is now used to:

• Evaluate the extent of arthritis
• Remove damaged cartilage
• Evaluate and repair ligament injuries
• Remove scar tissue and bone fragments

How is the Arthroscope Used?

Using the arthroscope to assist with joint surgery usually involves making smaller incisions into the joint than those made in a regular open-incision surgery. Once the arthroscope is inserted into the joint, it is used first to try to see the problem. In this way, the problem can be confirmed before making any large incisions and causing any damage unnecessarily. The arthroscope is now used in the examination and surgical treatment of the knee, ankle, shoulder, hip and other joints.

Using the arthroscope as his eyes, a surgeon can then use small specialized instruments inserted into the joint through other small incisions to perform the operation. As surgeons have become familiar with this type of surgery, more surgical procedures that were once done with large incisions are now being done arthroscopically.

Arthroscopic Procedures Cause Less Damage

Most investigative surgical procedures result in damage to tissues that are otherwise normal, because an incision must be made to see the problem. This is particularly bothersome for joints because to enter a joint, the joint capsule and ligaments must be incised (cut into). Arthroscopic procedures cause less damage to joints, because the incision is quite small -- only about a quarter inch in diameter.

Arthroscopy causes less damage to normal structures by requiring much smaller incisions through the joint capsule and ligaments around the joint. Arthroscopy also allows the joint to remain closed and reduces the risk of infection and drying out of the articular cartilage. Thus, the healing time for most arthroscopic procedures is greatly reduced.