Arthroscopic Surgery: Any Joint Repaired
Our body’s joints seem to have expiration dates and definitely experience the wears, tears, and breakdown that daily living can cause over time. Arthroscopy is a type of surgery used by doctors to look at and treat joint related problems. In fact, this treatment method can be used on any joint in the body but the most common areas are the ankle, knee, shoulder, hip, and wrist. A doctor might recommend this procedure when a joint has been injured, has become inflamed, or if it has been damaged. Best of all, with this type of surgery, the patient can go home that very same day usually.
The tool used for this medical treatment is called an arthroscope. This has a camera and lens. The doctor will make a very tiny incision and insert this pencil thin tool. The doctor can now have a clearer image of the joint projected onto a screen. They will then inject a fluid that will widen the joint area. Now the doctor can decide to either cut, shave, or stitch the joint to the bone. They can also tell if major surgery will be needed or not. After, there may be a little pain or swelling, but the recovery is faster than open surgery. The person is left with just a small puncture wound (or a few). Then the stiches can be removed in just a couple of weeks. There may be some activities the doctor will say to avoid. After several weeks, the joint should be fully recovered and then physical therapy will help get the patient their full range of motion back.
This method is very useful for doctors to treat pain. For example, the doctor can diagnosis a torn meniscus or patella and then move forward to repair the ligaments of this joint. In doing so, pain can be alleviated, and the problem can be addressed before getting worse. Common uses of this procedure include:
- Patella that is out of position
- Removal of Baker’s cyst
- Swollen lining in the joint (synovial)
- Torn anterior or posterior cruciate ligament
- Pieces of torn cartilage that are out of place
It is nice to have a non-invasive option for treatment. It is possible you will need to be put under anesthesia, but sometimes a person can even watch the procedure on a monitor. Pain is the body communicating that something needs to be addressed. Arthroscopy can make an injury more manageable or treatable, which offers peace of mind to millions of patients.
Sources:
https://www.nejm.org/doi/full/10.1056/NEJMoa013259
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC1200806/
https://www.bmj.com/content/364/bmj.l185
https://www.bmj.com/content/350/bmj.h2747
https://www.healthline.com/health-news/is-arthroscopic-knee-surgery-worth-it
