Knee arthroscopy is a procedure of diagnosing several knee problems such as torn meniscus, a misaligned patella, or even repair ligaments of the joint. It allows surgeons to observe the knee joint without any large incision.
A small cut is made from where a tiny camera (known as Arthroscope) is inserted into the knee joint which shows the pictures on a monitor and helps the surgeon to perform miniature surgeries.
The pain, joint stiffness and recovery time are relatively less in this procedure.
Knee arthroscopy needs to be done if you have a painful knee condition, which does not respond to non-surgical treatments. It helps soothe painful symptoms that might affect the cartilage surfaces and soft tissues surrounding the knee joints.
Arthroscopic surgeries can diagnose and treat knee conditions such as:
- Torn anterior or posterior cruciate ligaments
- Damaged articular cartilage or meniscus
- Inflamed synovium
- Knee cap problem
- Knee sepsis (infection)
- Loose fragments or cartilage or bone
- Fractures
A meniscal tear is one of the most frequently occurring cartilage injuries of the knee.
Meniscus tears are common in contact sports like football as well as non-contact sports requiring jumping and cutting such as volleyball and soccer.
What Does a Meniscus Tear Feel Like?
Symptoms of a meniscus tear include:
- Pain in the knee
- Swelling
- A popping sensation during the injury
- Difficulty bending and straightening the leg
- A tendency for your knee to get “stuck” or lock up
It depends on the severity of the injury, and you may require one to two treatment approaches.
For minor tears, rest is all you need. You may have:
- Rest from physical activities that strain the knee
- Ice Compression of the injured area to treat swelling
For severe tears, the surgical intervention includes Arthroscopy that either stitches the torn meniscus together (full meniscus repair) or trims away the injured tissue (partial meniscectomy).
Multiple ligament injuries (MLIs) are rare but potentially disabling traumatic events that involve at least two of the 4 major ligaments of the knee (anterior cruciate ligament [ACL], posterior cruciate ligament [PCL], posteromedial corner [PMC] including the medial collateral ligament [MCL], and posterolateral corner [PLC] including the lateral collateral ligament [LCL]).