Have you or a loved one been battling knee pain that just won’t go away? Have you been to the doctor to determine its cause but haven’t had any luck? If this seems familiar, you may have a condition that can be relieved with arthroscopic knee surgery. During an arthroscopy, your surgeon inserts a flexible tube with a tiny camera through a small incision in the skin, which allows the physician to look in and around the knee joint for potential problems.

Arthroscopic surgery is a way to diagnose and treat a variety of knee issues. Below are some examples of conditions treated with arthroscopic knee surgery:

·       ACL, PCL ligament issues – The anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) and posterior cruciate ligament (PCL) serve the important role of holding the knee in place. If these ligaments are torn, arthroscopic surgery can fix them.

·       Cartilage issues – Cartilage is a connective tissue that exists between joints in the body. If your cartilage is torn, an arthroscopy can treat it.

·       Bone issues – It’s possible your knee pain is caused by an out-of-place or fractured bone in the knee. This can cause a lot of pain and may require surgery. An arthroscopy can fix a variety of bone issues.

Knee pain can be caused by a variety of reasons and it’s important to figure out what is behind your symptoms. Treating the pain without locating its source is only half the battle. When the cause of your pain is difficult to determine, arthroscopic surgery can be used to visually identify a problem. A diagnosis and fix may be done in the same procedure.

There are many reasons to consider arthroscopic knee surgery.

·       To identify the cause of your knee pain. Arthroscopic surgery is used to not only treat a variety of knee issues but also find the reason behind symptoms. An arthroscopy may be called for when other diagnostic methods fail to identify a cause. In situations like these, arthroscopic knee surgery can figure out the cause and, in many cases, it can fix the issue right then and there.

·       It’s minimally invasive. Arthroscopic surgery is far less invasive than more traditional knee surgeries that involve opening up the knee and cutting through muscles, tendons, and ligaments to access the joint. An arthroscopy is performed using a smaller incision, and results in far less tissue trauma and scarring in the surgery area.

·       Recovery is faster. Because arthroscopic surgery is less invasive, this means that there is a shorter recovery time needed after the surgery. You can get back to your regular routine much quicker than you would after other types of knee surgeries.

If you are experiencing knee pain and want to find a solution to it, it’s important to speak to an orthopedic surgeon who specializes in joint and bone issues and will be able to diagnose and treat your knee pain. Your surgeon will lay out the options to fix your knee problems and will be the best person to identify whether arthroscopic knee surgery is right for you.

The Colorado Center of Orthopaedic Excellence can diagnose and treat your orthopedic issue. We’d love to discuss your treatment options, including arthroscopic knee surgery. Call (719) 623-1050 to make an appointment with one of our highly trained doctors.