Knee arthroscopy is one of the most commonly used procedures for the diagnosis and treatment of knee injuries. This minor surgical procedure is usually done using an instrument called an arthroscope. Not only knees but other joints such as the shoulder, elbow, ankle, hip and wrist can also be viewed using this instrument.
Knee arthroscopy is commonly used for:
- Removal or repair of torn meniscal cartilage
- Reconstruction of a torn anterior cruciate ligament
- Trimming of torn pieces of articular cartilage
- Removal of loose fragments of bone or cartilage
- Removal of inflamed synovial tissue
An arthroscopy will take about thirty minutes or an hour, depending on how much work the surgeon needs to do inside the knee joint. During this process, the orthopaedic surgeon will make a few small incisions in your knee. A sterile solution will be used to fill the knee joint and rinse away any cloudy fluid. This helps your orthopaedic surgeon see your knee clearly and in great detail. The surgeon’s first task is to properly diagnose the problem. He or she will insert the arthroscope and use the image projected on the screen to guide it. If surgical treatment is needed, the surgeon will use small surgical instruments that makes small incisions measuring one centimeter or less. These instruments might be scissors, motorized shavers, or lasers. This allows the surgeon to probe, cut, or shave tissues inside the knee . This helps to repair damage or remove material that interferes with movement or causes pain in your knee. After the surgery, Your surgeon may close your incisions with a stitch or steri-strips (small bandaids) and cover them with a soft bandage. An ice pack will also be applied to the knee, which will help to prevent swelling and pain. Most people go home the same day after the surgery. The doctor will give the patient an exercise program to follow.
An arthroscopy can provide ultimate relief from knee pain and improve mobility. Reports say that around 4 million knee arthroscopies are performed worldwide every year. Recovery from knee arthroscopy is much faster than recovery from traditional open knee surgery.
Recently I met with an accident and my bone and cartilage fragments became loose. When I consulted an Orthopaedic Surgeon he recommended to do knee arthroscopy. This surgical process took just half an hour and I went home the same day after undergoing the surgery. I started to follow the exercise routine recommended by the doctor, after few days I got complete relief from the knee pain which I had before.
It was a rainy evening and I was having fun with my friends. Accidently slipped down the terrace stairs and fell down injuring my knee bone. Knee arthroscopy was done to remove the torn out fragments. Then physiotherapy was done to bring back to natural walking and to adapt to it.