Arthroscopy

What is Arthroscopy?

Arthroscopy is a surgical procedure that our orthopedic surgeons use to see, diagnose, and treat problems inside of a joint. OSS surgeons frequently perform shoulder, knee, hip, wrist, and ankle arthroscopy.

Pencil-sized instruments with small lens and lighting systems are inserted into a small incision, allowing the surgeon to see the inside of a joint. The camera attached to the arthroscope displays an image of the joint on a monitor. By viewing the joint, our surgeons can make a decision on what type of injury the patient has, or what type of procedure or surgery is necessary.

Arthroscopy

Arthroscopy

Arthroscopy is an outpatient procedure and most patients are home within several hours of surgery.  Because it’s minimally invasive, patients generally experience fewer problems and a more rapid recovery than with open surgery, making it a valuable diagnostic and treatment tool.

Our surgeon, Dr. Garcia wrote more about the procedure – Arthroscopic Rotator Cuff, Arthroscopic Shoulder Instability, and Revision Shoulder Arthroplasty.

Arthroscopy is also used in treating hands, wrists and elbows.  Wrist arthroscopy may be used to smooth bone surfaces and removed inflamed tissue, and can be used to treat chronic wrist pain, wrist fractures, carpal tunnel syndrome, ganglion cysts and tears in the ligaments or triangular fibro cartilage complex (TFCC).  The procedure can also be utilized for wrist fractures; orthopedic surgeons can remove small fragments and fracture debris, align the broken pieces of bone, and stabilize them by using pins, wires, or screws.

Elbow Arthroscopy

Elbow arthroscopy has recently become useful in a procedure treating cubital tunnel syndrome, or ulnar nerve compression. It is also used for other conditions such as tennis elbow, post traumatic contracture releases, arthritis and loose body removal.

Read more about wrist and elbow arthroscopy and find out the advantages of using arthroscopy for your hand, wrist or elbow injury.

We encourage you to visit our patient education area to learn more about specific orthopedic injuries and procedures that are of interest to you or are in need of information relating to your specific injury.



Relevant Articles

The physicians at OSS have a breadth of knowledge in orthopedic surgical procedures or chronic injuries and share their expertise it with the community at large.  Article topics include: