Arthroscopy

Aside from MISS, there are other minimally invasive surgeries performed for orthopedic conditions. These include arthroscopy, which is a procedure used to look at and treat problems inside a joint. Below are the types of arthroscopy:

• Knee arthroscopy. This is commonly done for ACL tear reconstruction, loose body removal, meniscal tear repair, and inflamed synovium removal.

• Hip arthroscopy. This is typically used to correct hip injuries, synovitis, and hip dysplasia.

• Shoulder arthroscopy. This may be used for rotator cuff repair, labral repair, shoulder instability repair, inflamed tissue removal, and bone spur removal.

• Wrist arthroscopy. This can be done to repair wrist fractures and ligament tears, and treat chronic wrist pain.

According to Dr. Eric Shapiro, one of the many fine orthopedic surgeons that practice at Orthopedic Surgery Associates:

“A candidate for arthroscopic surgery is a patient with acute injury with a meniscal cartilage tear or a patient with a chronic meniscal tear who has failed conservative treatment of greater than six weeks. Patients younger than age 50 are treated more aggressively, and patients older than 50 years old are treated more conservatively. Conservative treatment includes nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory medication, physical therapy, and cortisone injection. Other criteria include level of pain, amount of disability, and inability to perform activities of daily living and sporting endeavors. The patient and physician together review all these variables and formulate an individualized treatment plan for recovery. Each patient’s treatment plan is modified to relieve their painful symptoms. The patient must trust the experience and expertise of the orthopaedic surgeon to see if they are candidates for this arthroscopic surgery.”