In 1918, Professor Kenji Takagi of the University of Tokyo in Japan first used a cystoscope to examine human cadaveric knee joints. In 1919, Dr. Eugen Bircher of Germany used a laparoscope made by Gorge Wolf to perform microscopic examinations on the knee joints of some patients and in 1922 published the results of 21 patients with osteoarthrosis. In 1925, Phillip Kreuscher used a homemade arthroscope for the early diagnosis of meniscal disorders. Professor Takagi improved the endoscopic instruments to make them more suitable for joint examination, and in 1958, Dr. Masaki Watanabe, a student of Professor Takagi, collaborated with several Japanese companies to produce the first truly successful arthroscope (Watanabe 21). He also personally performed the first documented arthroscopic surgical procedure, namely the microscopic removal of a suprapatellar capsule swelling in the knee, and in 1962 he performed a partial arthroscopic meniscectomy. After the 1980s, arthroscopic techniques were widely adopted and further improved, and arthroscopic surgery was carried out in countries all over the world, making minimally invasive surgical techniques occupy an important position in the field of orthopedics. Arthroscopy was introduced in China in the 1970s, gradually developed in the 1980s, and entered a period of promotion and rapid development in the mid to late 1990s. Arthroscopy was initially applied only to the knee joint, and gradually developed to all other large joints of the limb, and even to small joints such as the wrist joint and interphalangeal joint. At present, arthroscopic techniques are not yet widespread in China and need to be further promoted. Indications: Arthroscopy can be used to diagnose and treat a variety of joint (knee, shoulder, ankle, hip, elbow, wrist, etc.) disorders, such as meniscal injury of the knee, cruciate ligament rupture, rotator cuff tear, recurrent dislocation of the shoulder, osteochondral injury of the ankle talus, hip impingement, exfoliative osteochondritis of the elbow, triangular cartilage disc injury of the wrist, and limited cartilage injury of each joint, intra-articular free bodies (also called joint rats), and a variety of chronic synovitis. Most of the symptoms of sports injuries, such as swelling, pain, instability or strangulation, are not treated by conservative treatment and can be further treated by arthroscopy. Contraindications: Systemic or localized infectious diseases, such as fever caused by infection, long boils on the skin near the joint. Severe hypertension, heart disease, diabetes, or other serious medical conditions where the patient cannot tolerate anesthesia and surgery. Procedure: (Take the knee joint as an example) After administering anesthesia, the patient lies on his back on the operating table and undergoes strict sterilization. A tourniquet is used at the base of the thigh to block blood flow to the lower extremity during surgery to reduce bleeding during surgery. Three small 1 cm incisions are usually made in the anterior part of the knee joint. One of them inserts an inlet tube to inject sterile saline into the knee joint continuously to swell the joint cavity and facilitate the surgical operation; at the same time, it can reduce bleeding. The other two incisions insert an arthroscopic camera, which displays the real-time images on a monitor so that the surgeon can see what is going on inside the joint by viewing the monitor screen. The other incision allows for the insertion of various arthroscopic instruments to perform various surgical operations. For example, the structures inside the joint are explored with a probing hook, the diseased synovium is removed with an electric planer, the damaged meniscus is removed with a basket clamp, the free body is removed with a grasping clamp, and the cruciate ligament is reconstructed with the aid of a special positioner. The surgery is usually completed within 1 1/2 hours. After the surgery is completed, 3 small incisions are sutured and the lower extremity is wrapped with cotton pads under pressure to reduce swelling of the joint. The sutures are removed 1 week after surgery, leaving only 3 small scars of 1 cm. Complications: As with any surgery, there are some complications associated with arthroscopic surgery. Examples include postoperative infection, peri-articular neurovascular damage, joint adhesions, and lower extremity venous thrombosis. However, the overall incidence is very low. Rehabilitation: The day after surgery, you should move the other joints and slightly elevate the affected limb to promote blood return. Muscle strength exercises of the limb can be performed on the second day after surgery; you can walk on the ground, and depending on the condition, the affected limb can be fully weight-bearing, partially weight-bearing or non-weight-bearing when walking. Meniscectomy and free body removal surgery can be discharged in about 3-4 days; cruciate ligament reconstruction surgery and synovectomy surgery usually require 7-10 days of hospitalization due to more complicated postoperative rehabilitation. Effect: Compared with traditional arthroscopic surgery, arthroscopic surgery is highly accurate, less traumatic, less painful, faster recovery, and excellent results. Other precautions: Before surgery, take care to avoid mosquito and insect bites on the skin near the joint and avoid boils on the skin. After surgery, take rest and follow the doctor’s instructions.