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, with the aim of achieving 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, through the arthroscope can be in a near physiological state, dynamic observation of the lesions in the joint, certain diseases must be diagnosed under the arthroscope.
2. Fine surgery, which can preserve the physiological tissue structure intact and limit the joint trauma to a minimum by targeted surgery.
3.Minimally invasive surgery, small skin incision, small surgical incision, the ligaments around the joint, joint capsule and skin nerve from damage; less pain – basically to achieve no pain after surgery;
4.Small skin scars, little scar stimulation, beautiful;
5.Little surgical damage, less bleeding, less patient pain, quick recovery after surgery.
6.Fast recovery of joint function after surgery, early activity on the ground, generally the next day after surgery, reduce postoperative complications (joint adhesions, muscle atrophy, phlebitis, blood clots, wound infection)
7.Economy and cost: short hospital stay, reduce 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: unexplained pain in the hip joint, hip-femoral impingement, femoral head necrosis, osteoarthritis, free body removal, tumor microscopic biopsy
Knee joint: osteoarthritis, free body, meniscal injury, articular cartilage 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, 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 internal fixation, plate removal
For example, 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 infections can also be flushed through arthroscopic examination.
Role of arthroscopy
(1) Diagnostic role: With the help of it, synovial membrane, cartilage, meniscus and ligaments can be directly observed, providing visual information for joint diseases, “putting the doctor’s eyes into the joint”, seeing is believing, and there is no substitute for other methods.
(2) Therapeutic role: It can also remove and repair diseased tissues in the joint under non-open surgical conditions.