What You Should Know About Arthroscopic Knee Surgery

Most people take their knees for granted. But it’s impossible to ignore these crucial joints when something goes wrong.

Knee pain is a common and widespread problem, affecting people of all ages, genders, and walks of life. It can develop because of knee injuries, such as torn cartilage or ruptured ligaments, and medical conditions like infection and arthritis. 

At The Woodlands Sports Medicine Centre, our team knows how disabling knee pain can be. As one of the longest-standing orthopedic sports medicine practices in The Woodlands, Texas, you can rest assured that our goal is to restore pain-free movement to your joint, no matter where it hurts. One of our best tools is arthroscopy.

Do you have painful knees? Here’s what you need to know about arthroscopic surgery.

What sets arthroscopy apart

When most people think of surgery, they picture large incisions, pain, and lengthy recoveries. That’s what makes arthroscopy completely different from traditional surgical procedures.

To properly diagnose and treat your knee pain, we need to know what’s happening inside your joint, but advanced imaging provides limited information. It’s undoubtedly true that X-rays, MRIs, and CT scans go a long way toward painting a preliminary picture of the joint problem. However, nothing provides the detailed information you can gain through a firsthand look.

In the past, the only way to observe the inside of a joint came at a cost — surgeons had to create a large incision to open the area up wide. This provided clear visibility of the injury site, but it often led to collateral tissue damage and added considerable pain and recovery time to patients’ overall treatment plan.

That’s all changed thanks to modern technology. Now, we can perform highly complex procedures using specialized tools and equipment that acts as our eyes and hands. This advanced approach allows us to access a joint with the least disruption possible.

We do this with arthroscopic surgery.

How arthroscopy works

The most important tool involved in arthroscopy is the arthroscope. It’s a tiny camera mounted on a thin tube. 

During arthroscopic knee surgery, we thread this innovative device through a very small incision in your knee. Once in place, the camera delivers real-time, 3D, high-definition images straight to a monitor, so we can see the inside of your joint firsthand to identify issues. But it doesn’t stop there.

Once we hone in on the exact problem, we can use specialized tools to repair the problem. These tools can accomplish complex hand movements in very small spaces. The result? We can perform major and minor repairs while preserving your surrounding tissue.

The versatility of arthroscopic surgery

Your knees are large and complex joints, and an arthroscope allows us to go inside and find the exact cause of your discomfort and joint dysfunction. In fact, one of the best uses of arthroscopy is for diagnostic purposes. 

And once we locate your problem, we can also perform a number of treatments, such as:

• Removing inflamed synovial tissue
• Reconstructing a torn anterior cruciate ligament (ACL)
• Repairing or removing the meniscus
• Trimming damaged cartilage
• Removing loose fragments of cartilage or bone
• Repairing your patella (kneecap) 

If you have knee pain, there’s no better tool for diagnosing and treating the most common knee problems so we can get you back on your feet as quickly as possible.

The advantages of arthroscopic techniques

Arthroscopic surgery offers numerous benefits, especially as a diagnostic tool. Additional advantages include:

• Reduced risk of infection
• Less tissue damage
• Reduced swelling
• Faster healing time

Plus, we often perform arthroscopy on an outpatient basis. That means you’re free to go home to begin recovering on the same day as your procedure.

Are you ready to see how arthroscopy can remedy your knee pain? Contact The Woodlands Sports Medicine Centre to schedule an appointment by calling 281-410-2282 today or by clicking “Request appointment” on this website.