Arthroscopy

ARTHROSCOPY

(Image Source: Londonkneeclinic)

Arthroscopy is a minimal surgical procedure performed on a joint using arthroscope by making a small incision. In a case of an injury that damages the tissues of joints requires a minimal surgical process for the treatment. Sports injuries mostly clubbed into this category. It is done to treat or to evaluate many orthopedic situations including torn surface, cartilage, trimming of damaged cartilage and reconstruction. The cartilage is also termed as meniscus by many orthopedic professionals.

The surgical instruments used in case of arthroscopy are usually smaller than the normal surgical equipments. Surgeons diagnose the joint area, tissues and ligaments using a video monitor.

The main advantage of arthroscopy over the traditional open surgery is that these joints are not required to open fully. For the knee arthroscopy two small incisions are made one for each arthroscope and surgical instruments. Arthroscopy reduces the recovery time and enhances the success rate. This is very useful for the professional sportsmen who often injure their knee joints and stipulate faster healing.

The smaller incisions make it less scary. It is possible to undergo arthroscopy for almost every joint but it is commonly used for knee, shoulder, elbow, wrist, ankle, foot, and hip. The process of arthroscopy involves the use of irrigation fluid to distant the joint for making space for surgery. In some cases the fluid penetrates into the surrounding soft tissues causing edema.

Mewar Hospital is the biggest chain of orthopedic hospitals in Rajasthan and Madhya Pradesh serving the humanity through the pristine profession of medical & health care. Our experienced team orthopedic surgeons have successfully carried many arthroscopic procedures. The arthroscopy procedure could be performed in the following given situations:

1. Arthroscopic Partial Meniscectomy (APM): The primary aim to perform APM is to trim or repair the torn or damaged meniscus that is the reason this surgery is termed as Arthroscopic Partial Meniscectomy. The APM is not that very effective for adults suffering from mild osteoarthritis. In many cases a damaged meniscus does not show symptoms.

2. Osteoarthritis: Arthroscopic surgeries of the knee are done for many reasons. Still it is not clear whether it is more effective for osteoarthritis apart from the traditional conservative therapies. However this is still a widely adopted treatment for a range of conditions including Labral Tears, Femoroacetabular impingement and Osteochondritis Dissecans. A study made in year 2008 confirmed that there was no long term benefit for chronic pain, above medication and physical therapy.

3. Knee: The modern knee arthroscopy has replaced the traditional arthrotomical surgery. Now day’s arthroscopy of knee is executed for treatment of injured meniscus, reconstruction of anterior ligament and cartilage micro fracture. Arthroscopy can also be performed just for diagnosing and checking of the knee; however, the latter use has been mainly replaced by magnetic resonance imaging.

4. Hip: Earlier the arthroscopy of hip was performed for the diagnosis of hip pain. Now it is widely used in different condition of hip inside and outside the hip joint. There are varied conditions for which hip arthroscopy used. These include the following: labral tears, loose / foreign body removal, hip washout or biopsy, cartilage lesions, osteochondritis dissecans, ligamentum teres injuries and reconstruction) Iliopsoas tendinopathy, trochanteric pain syndrome, snapping iliotibial band, osteoarthritis, sciatic nerve compression, ischiofemoral impingement and direct assessment of hip replacement.

5. Wrist: Arthroscopy of the wrist is used to investigate and treat symptoms of repetitive strain injury, fractures of the wrist and torn or damaged ligaments. It can also be used to ascertain joint damage caused by wrist osteoarthritis.

6. Spine: In many invasive spinal procedures it involves the removal of the bone muscles and ligaments in order to access the problem area. In certain mid-spine cases the surgeon requires to access the problem area through the rib cage. This might elongate the recovery time for the patient. Arthroscopic procedure allows access to and treatment of spinal conditions with minimal damage to surrounding tissues. Recovery time is significantly reduced due to the relatively small size of incisions. Recovery rate may vary according to the severity and overall health of the patient.

7. Shoulder: All the shoulder related procedures were performed by opening the joint through big incisions before the introduction of arthroscopy. Arthroscopic shoulder surgeries have gained momentum in the past decade. The keyhole surgery of the shoulder as it is popularly known has reduced inpatient time and rehabilitation requirements and is often termed as a daycare procedure. Arthroscopy of shoulder is commonly used for treatment of diseases including the following:

Subacromial impingement, acromioclavicular osteoarthritis, rotator cuff tears, frozen shoulder, chronic tendonitis, removal of loose bodies and partial tears of the long biceps tendon and shoulder instability.

The most common indications include subacromial decompression, bankarts lesion repair and rotator cuff repair.

Source: http://www.mewarhospitals.com/arthroscopy/