Arthroscopy

Arthroscopy is a minimally invasive procedure that involves placing a small, fiber-optic camera into a joint through small incisions in order to examine the joint and treat a variety of conditions. Arthroscopy is a relatively common surgery – some examples would include treating torn or damaged cartilage, ACL tears, and rotator cuff tears.

One example of when arthroscopy would be used is if the doctor suspects an ACL tear. These occur when there is a severe injury to the anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) – which connects the upper and lower leg bones. People can tear their ACL if they pivot their leg too fast and strongly or if they land on their leg with too much force after jumping.

Advantages of Arthroscopy

One advantage of arthroscopy over open surgery is that there is less trauma to the tissues, less scarring, and smaller incisions, all significantly speeding recovery time.

Another advantage is that arthroscopic surgery is commonly performed on an out-patient basis on the knee, shoulder, elbow, wrist, and ankle.

The physicians at Midland Orthopedic Associates have many years of experience and advanced training in this technique and have served as instructors teaching other surgeons arthroscopic techniques. Our physicians routinely use arthroscopic techniques to provide treatment that would otherwise require open surgery and longer recovery times.