Arthroscopic surgery is a modern minimally invasive surgical procedure performed on joints by employing two small incisions on the joint. It can be used for both, investigation as well as treatment of joints. Arthroscopic surgery is performed using an arthroscope, an endoscope that is inserted in the joint through a small incision on the joint. Two small incisions are made on the joint, one for the arthroscope and another for the surgical instrument to be used in surgery. Arthroscopic surgery has an advantage over open joint surgeries in being minimally invasive. It does not involve large cuts on the joints and thus the recovery period after an arthroscopic surgery is reduced considerably. It also reduces trauma to the connective tissue in the surgery.
2 million arthroscopic surgeries are performed worldwide annually. Arthroscopic surgery is performed to treat conditions of knee, hip, wrist, spine and shoulder. It is used to correct meniscus injuries and Anterior Cruciate Ligament reconstruction of knee, labral tears, foreign body removal from joints, cartilage lesions, ligament reconstruction of joints, reconstruction of damaged muscles (biceps and triceps), fracture and damaged ligaments of wrist, frozen shoulder, rotator cuff tears of shoulder, removal of loose bodies from joints of knee, hip and shoulder. Arthroscopy proves of great help in reducing risks in spine surgery. It is used to treat spinal deformity, spinal tumours, general spine trauma, spinal disc herniation and degenerative discs.
