What is a knee arthroscopy?

Knee arthroscopy is a surgical procedure that allows orthopaedic surgeons to view the knee joint without making a large incision through the skin and other soft tissues. Arthroscopy is used to diagnose and treat a wide range of knee problems. During knee arthroscopy, your surgeon will insert a small camera, called an arthroscope, into your knee joint. The camera displays pictures on a video monitor, and your surgeon can use these images to guide miniature surgical instruments. Because the arthroscope and surgical instruments are small, we can use very small incisions, rather than a larger incision needed for open surgery. This results in less pain, less joint stiffness, and a shorter recovery time.