Overview
Arthroscopy is a procedure to diagnose and treat joint problems. The surgeon inserts a narrow tube attached to a fiber-optic video camera through a small incision — about the size of a buttonhole. The view is transmitted from inside your joint to a high definition video monitor.
Arthroscopy allows the surgeon to see inside your joint without making a large incision. Surgeons can also repair some types of joint damage during an arthroscopic procedure, with thin, pencil-like surgical tools inserted through additional small incisions.
Why is this being done
Arthroscopy is used by doctors to help diagnose and treat many joint conditions, most commonly those affecting:
knee
the shoulder
Attached
ankle
hip
wrist
Diagnostic procedures
Doctors often perform arthroscopy if X-rays and other imaging studies do not answer certain diagnostic questions.
Surgical procedures
Conditions that are treated with arthroscopy include:
Loose bone fragments
Cartilage damage or rupture
Inflamed joint linings
Ligaments torn
Injury to the joints
