This is an examination of the internal structures of a joint using a 5mm scope with an attached camera and light source. The scope and a small probe are introduced via small stab wounds called “portals”. A comprehensive examination of the internal structures can be viewed on a screen and recorded by video. An arthroscopic procedure is an operation performed by arthroscopy; several varieties of instruments are used for this type of surgery (keyhole) and the recovery is usually more rapid than in “open” surgical operations.
In an arthroscopic examination, an orthopaedic surgeon makes a small incision in the patient’s skin and then inserts pencil-sized instruments that contain a small lens and lighting system to magnify and illuminate the structures inside the joint. Light is transmitted through fiber optics to the end of the arthroscope that is inserted into the joint.