What is arthroscopy?

This surgical procedure allows an orthopaedic surgeon to look inside a joint, identify abnormalities and treat them. A fibre-optic light source and instruments for removing unwanted tissue and inserting implants and ligaments are also used. The camera image appears on a dedicated high-resolution monitor, providing a very detailed magnified view. The surgeon can precisely visualise most joint structures, including articular cartilage, ligaments and synovial membrane.

Arthroscopy comes from “arthro”, meaning joint, and “skopein”, meaning to look. Literally, it means “to look inside a joint”.

The procedure uses a camera with precision optics to magnify the structures of the joint.