Arthroscopic knee surgery

WHAT IS ARTHROSCOPY?
Arthroscopy is a surgical procedure orthopaedic surgeons use to visualise, diagnose and treat problems inside a joint; the point where two bones meet and movement occurs. Since this technique became available in the 1970s, hundreds of thousands of patients have chosen it over other types of surgery because the scar is smaller, the hospital stay is shorter and the recovery time is faster.
The word arthroscopy comes from two Greek words arthro (joint) and skopein (to look). The term literally means to look within the joint. In an arthroscopic examination, a small incision is made in the patient's skin and a pencil-shaped arthroscope is inserted with a miniature lens and light system that magnifies and illuminates the structures inside your joint. This small instrument varies from 3mm to 5mm in diameter. Light is transmitted through fiberoptic cables to the end of the arthroscope that is inserted into the joint. By using a miniature television camera and screen combination, the interior of the joint is seen.
The television camera attached to the arthroscope displays the image of the joint on a television screen. The large image on the screen allows the joint to be seen directly to determine the extent of injuries, and then perform the particular surgical procedure, if one is necessary.