Joint injuries and problems are common occurrences regardless of age. Traditionally, doctors used to cut through the large areas of your tissues to access the joint and make a diagnosis or offer treatment. However, the advances in surgery have led to the arthroscope – a narrow tube with a system of lenses, a small video camera, and a light for viewing– that has allowed doctors to diagnose and treat joint problems with a minor incision.
If you are experiencing a joint problem and your doctor has recommended arthroscopy to view and treat your musculoskeletal problem, you may want to know about and conditions it can treat.
Let’s discuss arthroscopy, what condition it can treat, and where you can go in Westlake, OH, for comprehensive orthopedic care.
Arthroscopy: What Is It?
Arthroscopy is a minimally invasive surgical procedure involving using an arthroscope to view joints. A surgeon performs arthroscopy to see inside the joint and repair some types of joint damage.
During arthroscopic surgery, you receive general, local, or spinal anesthetic and your surgeon makes a small incision in your skin. Your doctor inserts an arthroscope into your skin through this incision. Then, your surgeon makes another incision through which a probing, cutting, or grasping tool is used. The light is transmitted through an optic fiber to the end of the arthroscope inserted into your joint. The information inside of your joint is transmitted to a monitor.
Once the procedure is done, incisions are closed with one or two stitches or sterile adhesive tape.
What Conditions Can Arthroscopy Treat?
Arthroscopy is typically recommended for musculoskeletal conditions when nonsurgical treatments like rest, braces or splints, medications, steroid injections, and physical therapy fail to provide adequate relief to the patient. Arthroscopic surgery can be performed to treat various musculoskeletal conditions of joints like:
- Shoulder
- Knee
- Ankle
- Elbow
- Hip
- Wrist
Most frequently, arthroscopic surgery can treat the following conditions:
- Inflammation of the lining (synovium) of the shoulder, elbow, wrist, knee, or ankle
- Rotator cuff (tendon) tear
- Impingement syndrome
- Recurrent shoulder dislocation
- Meniscal (cartilage) tear
- Anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) tears
- Injury or wearing of cartilage cushion (chondromalacia)
- Carpal tunnel syndrome
- Ganglion cyst
- Frozen shoulder
- Foot and ankle arthritis
- Loose bone fragments in the wrist, shoulder, elbow, knee, and ankle
Benefits Of Arthroscopy
Since arthroscopic surgery requires only minor one or two incisions compared to open surgery, it offers the following advantages to patients.
- Faster recovery as less tissue is damaged
- Shorter hospital stays
- Less reliance on medications
- Minimal blood loss
- Minimal scarring
- Less pain
Arthroscopy in Westlake, OH
If you sustain a joint injury or other musculoskeletal injuries that have impaired your day-to-day activities and seek a lasting solution, visit our board-certified and fellowship-trained orthopedic surgeons at Orthopaedic Associates. Our team is committed to providing you compassionate care and the latest medical technologies. They will thoroughly assess your issue and use advanced orthopedic techniques, including arthroscopic surgery, to give you a diagnosis and offer treatment.
To make an appointment with one of our highly experienced and skilled providers, call us at (440) 892-1440 or (866) 362-7624, or use our convenient online form to schedule an appointment today. We look forward to providing you with the best possible treatment for your musculoskeletal problem.
