What is arthroscopic surgery

An arthroscope is a rod-like optical instrument with a diameter of 5mm to observe the internal structure of a joint. It is an endoscope used by doctors to diagnose and treat joint diseases. Introduced in the 1970s, an arthroscope has a lens attached to the end of a thin tube that is inserted into a joint. The structure of the joint is displayed on a monitor. Therefore, the structure inside the joint can be directly observed. Arthroscopic surgery involves cutting a number of chopstick-sized or smaller holes (5 to 10 mm) into the skin, inserting cameras and surgical instruments into the joints, and operating under the supervision of a monitor by a doctor to diagnose and treat various joint diseases. Currently, the joints that can be treated include the knee, shoulder, ankle, elbow, wrist, jaw, hip, metacarpophalangeal, and even the thoracic and lumbar joints. Compared with arthrotomy, arthroscopic surgery has the following advantages: (1) the incision is small and not susceptible to infection, and the skin scar is minimal. (2) The surgical trauma is small, the operation is safe, can be repeated operation, does not affect the joint after other operations. (3) A single arthroscopy can be used to treat a variety of diseases at the same time, such as joint debridement and synovial corrugectomy in knee surgery. (4) Wide indication, which is applicable to a variety of intraarticular lesions. Few contraindications, such as poor physical conditions can not perform conventional surgery, but not necessarily contraindicated arthroscopic surgery. Arthroscopic surgery can treat a variety of intraarticular inflammation, such as osteoarthritis synovitis, traumatic arthritis, rheumatoid arthritis, tuberculous arthritis, suppurative arthritis, exfoliative osteochondritis, etc., as well as synovial chondromatosis, patelomalacia, osteophytes (bone spurs), free body, synovial crescent-wall, joint disorders, meniscus injury, anterior and posterior cruciate ligament rupture, etc. Joint capsule adhesions, various intra-articular fractures, joint adhesions and joint mobility limitations, various unexplained joint pain.