Arthroscopy is a type of endoscopy performed by a doctor specialized in Traumatology and Orthopedic Surgery and is used both to diagnose and treat a pathology or injury of any joint (shoulder, knee, hip, etc.), analyze and treat the anatomical structures affected (cartilage, meniscus, ligaments, tendons, etc.).
What is arthroscopy for?
This technique allows the doctor to analyze the joint, to make cleaning, extirpations or different surgical interventions, among which stand out:
- To section, remove, suture or transplant the meniscus.
- Repair injured ligaments (cruciate ligament knee).
- Repair damaged cartilage.
- Suture a tendon, ligament, meniscus or labrum.
- Resect a bone (in the case of osteophytes and osteoarthritis).
- Remove a foreign body
What does arthroscopy consist of?
Arthroscopy is performed under regional, locoregional or general anesthesia, since two incisions are required: one to introduce the arthroscope and the other for the working tools.
Once the arthroscope, a small 4 mm rigid tube connected to a camera that allows the surgeon to visualize the joint on a screen, is inserted, small instruments such as forceps, scissors or drills are used to aspirate, resect or clean the treated area.
What are the advantages of arthroscopy?
Arthroscopy offers several advantages over other surgical techniques in traumatology:
- Quick and painless intervention.
- Short hospital stay: between 6 and 8 hours after surgery.
- Rapid recovery: the patient must wear a bandage or knee brace for seven days.
- Aesthetics: scars are smaller than in other techniques.
Objectives:
- Heal the joint with the smallest possible incision.
- Anatomical repair.
- Assessment of associated lesions.
- Associated with infiltrations (corticosteroids, platelet-rich plasma or hyaluronic acid).
What types of arthroscopy are there?
Arthroscopy is classified according to the joint treated:
- Knee arthroscopy
- Shoulder arthroscopy
- Hip arthroscopy
- Elbow arthroscopy
- Wrist arthroscopy
- Ankle arthroscopy
- Endoscopy
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