Did you know? 13.4% of the world’s population, or about 355 million people, currently suffer from various joint diseases! It is estimated that there are more than 100 million people suffering from arthritis in China. Known as the “number one killer of human disability”, osteoarthritis accounts for 50% of people over the age of 50, and up to 80% of people over the age of 55, with symptoms and impaired movement accounting for about 1/8 of the population. The World Health Organization has designated the first decade of the 21st century as the “Decade of Bones and Joints” to draw the attention of doctors and patients for the benefit of many joint disease patients. What is arthroscopy and arthroscopic surgery? Minimally invasive surgery, also known as “keyhole surgery”, is one of the trends and directions in the development of surgical techniques in the world today, aiming to achieve maximum results with minimal trauma. Arthroscopic technology is the application of minimally invasive surgery in the field of orthopedics, which is applied to the observation, diagnosis and treatment of intra-articular diseases, and is an advanced modern orthopedic surgical technique in line with the development trend of modern surgery, and is regarded as one of the three major advances in the field of orthopedics in the 20th century. Arthroscopy has been used in the 1970s in foreign countries, but only in the 1980s in China, it has become an indispensable branch of modern orthopedics. Arthroscopy is a high-tech minimally invasive technology, which is only the thickness of a pencil or chopsticks, commonly used only 4 mm in diameter, a small incision of less than 1 cm on the skin, you can put the arthroscope into the joint, and then connected to a micro-camera, through the fiber optic lighting system and computer imaging system, can be clearly displayed on the fluorescent screen. The arthroscope allows for careful observation of the intra-articular situation and direct and accurate detection of the lesion. The observation of the lesion inside the joint has a magnifying effect and is therefore more accurate than visual observation after the joint has been cut open. After a lesion is detected, surgery can be performed immediately under arthroscopic surveillance. A comprehensive examination and surgical treatment can be targeted by making an additional 1-2 small incisions and inserting special micro instruments. What are the advantages of arthroscopic surgery? (1) Clear observation. The arthroscope allows dynamic observation of lesions in the joint in a near physiological state, and certain diseases must be diagnosed under the arthroscope. (2) The surgery is delicate and can preserve the physiological tissue structure intact, and the targeted surgery can limit the joint trauma to the minimum. (3) Minimally invasive surgery, small skin incision, small surgical incision, ligaments around the joint, joint capsule and cutaneous nerve from damage; less pain – basically to achieve no pain after surgery. (4) Small skin scars, little scar irritation and aesthetic. (5) Less surgical injury, less bleeding, less patient pain and faster post-operative recovery. (6) Quick recovery of joint function after surgery, early movement to the ground, usually the next day after surgery, reducing postoperative complications (joint adhesions, muscle atrophy, phlebitis, blood clots, wound infection). (7) Economy and cost. Short hospital stay, reduced medical costs, short hospital stay, 2-3 days after surgery can get up and move around nursing costs and nursing staff, early return to work. Indications for arthroscopic surgery Hip joint: femoral head necrosis, osteoarthritis, free body removal, tumor microscopic biopsy. Knee joint: osteoarthritis, free body, meniscal injury, articular cartilage injury repair, joint adhesion release, anterior and posterior cruciate ligament injury reconstruction. Ankle joint: ankle fracture, traumatic arthritis, synovitis, free body. Shoulder joint: rotator cuff tear injury, impingement syndrome, periarthritis, calcific supraspinatus tendonitis. Wrist joint: cartilage injury, synovitis, arthroscopic transverse carpal ligament dissection for carpal tunnel syndrome. Elbow joint: free body, adhesion release, radial tuberosity osteoarthritis plication. Extra-articular: N-fossa cyst, gluteus contracture, intra-articular fracture percutaneous repositioning and internal fixation, plate removal. Most knee diseases are suitable for arthroscopic surgery, such as unexplained joint swelling, various synovitis, traumatic arthritis or osteoarthritis, intra-articular free body, meniscal injury, cruciate ligament injury, acute joint injury, patellar subluxation, etc. Intra-articular infection can also be flushed through arthroscopic examination. The role of arthroscopy 1, diagnostic role: with the help of it can directly observe the synovial membrane, cartilage, meniscus and ligaments, to provide intuitive information for joint disease, “put the doctor’s eyes into the joint”, seeing is believing, there are other methods irreplaceable role. 2, therapeutic role: at the same time can be non-open surgery conditions in the joint lesion tissue removal and repair. Types of arthroscopic surgery: almost all intra-articular diseases can be treated, for example: 1. free body removal: joint rats, stones in shoes, sand in eyes; 2. meniscus surgery: try to preserve, suture repair, partial removal; 3. cruciate ligament reconstruction: tear down the east wall to repair the west wall; 4. synovectomy; 5. trimming cartilage, cartilage graft; 6. helping fracture reset.