Orthopaedic surgeons use arthroscopy to visualize, diagnose, and treat problems inside a joint. A combination of two Greek words, “arthro” (joint) and “skopein” (to look), arthroscopy literally means “to look within the joint.”
This is accomplished by way of an arthroscope, an instrument that is inserted into the joint through a small incision.
Arthroscopic procedures at Greater Dayton Surgery Center
A wide variety of procedures can be performed arthroscopically. Rotator cuff tears, meniscus repairs, and labral tears in the hip or shoulder are just a few examples of common conditions treated through arthroscopy.
Advantages of arthroscopic joint surgery at Greater Dayton Surgery Center
The advantage of arthroscopic surgery over traditional surgery is that the joint does not have to be fully opened up. Most arthroscopic procedures require only two or three small incisions, through which the arthroscope and pencil-sized surgical instruments are inserted into the joint. With less trauma to the connective tissue, success rates improve, and recovery time is reduced. But although the incisions are small, the work performed arthroscopically is by no means less intense.
Although the inside of nearly all joints can be viewed with an arthroscope, the knee, shoulder, elbow, ankle, hip, and wrist joints are most frequently examined with this instrument.