Arthroscopy

Arthroscopy - is a procedure for diagnosing and treating joint problems. A surgeon inserts a narrow tube attached to a fiber-optic video camera through a small incision — about the size of a buttonhole. The view inside your joint is transmitted to a high-definition video monitor.

Arthroscopy allows the surgeon to see inside your joint without making a large incision. Surgeons can even repair some types of joint damage during arthroscopy, with pencil-thin surgical instruments inserted through additional small incisions.

Why it's done

Doctors use arthroscopy to help diagnose and treat a variety of joint conditions, most commonly those affecting the:

Knee

Shoulder

Elbow

Ankle

Hip

Wrist

Diagnostic procedures

Doctors often turn to arthroscopy if X-rays and other imaging studies have left some diagnostic questions unanswered.

Surgical procedures

Conditions treated with arthroscopy include:

Loose bone fragments

Damaged or torn cartilage

Inflamed joint linings

Torn ligaments

Scarring within joints