Knee arthroscopy

Alternative Names: Knee scope - arthroscopic lateral retinacular release; Synovectomy - knee; Patellar (knee) debridement; Meniscus repair; Lateral release; Knee surgery

Knee arthroscopy is surgery that is done by making small cuts on your knee and looking inside using a tiny camera. Other medical instruments may also be placed inside to fix your knee.

Description of Procedure

Three different types of pain relief (anesthesia) may be used for knee arthroscopy surgery:

• Your knee may be numbed with painkilling medicine. You also may be given medicines that relax you. You will stay awake.
• Spinal anesthesia. This is also called regional anesthesia. The painkilling medicine is injected into a space in your spine. You will be awake but will not be able to feel anything below your waist.
• General anesthesia. You will be asleep and pain-free.

A cuff-like device that blows up (inflates) may be used around your thigh to help control bleeding during knee arthroscopy.

The surgeon will make two or three small cuts around your knee. Salt water (saline) will be pumped into your knee to stretch the knee.

A narrow tube with a tiny camera on the end will be placed inside through one of the cuts. The camera is attached to a video monitor in the operating room. The surgeon looks at the monitor to see the inside of your knee. In some operating rooms, the patient can also watch the surgery on the monitor, if they want to.

The surgeon will look around your knee for problems. The surgeon may put other medical instruments inside your knee through the other small cuts. The surgeon will then fix or remove the problem in your knee.

At the end of your surgery, the saline will be drained from your knee. The surgeon will close your cuts with sutures (stitches) and cover them with a dressing. Many surgeons take pictures of the procedure from the video monitor so that afterward you can see what was done and what was found.

See also: ACL reconstruction

Risks of Knee arthroscopy

The risks for any anesthesia are:

• Allergic reactions to medicines
• Breathing problems

The risks for any surgery are:

• Bleeding
• Infection

Additional risks for this surgery include:

• Bleeding into the knee joint
• Damage to the cartilage, meniscus, or ligaments in the knee
• Blood clot in the leg
• Injury to a blood vessel or nerve
• Infection in the knee joint
• Knee stiffness

Knee arthroscopy	Knee arthroscopy - series

Review Date: 2/19/2011
Reviewed By: Linda J. Vorvick, MD, Medical Director, MEDEX Northwest Division of Physician Assistant Studies, University of Washington, School of Medicine; and C. Benjamin Ma, MD, Assistant Professor, Chief, Sports Medicine and Shoulder Service, UCSF Dept of Orthopaedic Surgery. Also reviewed by David Zieve, MD, MHA, Medical Director, A.D.A.M., Inc.

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