Arthroscopic surgery, also known as arthroscopy, is the process where a joint is operated on using an arthroscope, a small fibre optic camera.

The advantage over traditional surgery is that only small incisions need to be made, and the joint does not have to be opened up fully. This reduces the recovery time of the patient and may increase the rate of surgical success due to less trauma to the tissues. It is especially useful for professional athletes, who frequently injure knee joints but for whom time out of action is loss of money for both themselves and their organization, but is becoming the most important surgical method for knee and shoulder injuries in other patients, too.

The instruments used are also smaller. Surgeons watch what they are doing on a video monitor, and can diagnose and repair broken joint tissue (e.g. ligaments, menisci.).

See also

• Endoscopy
• Laparoscopic surgery