What is Arthroscopic Surgery?

Arthroscopic surgery is to insert a lens metal tube with a lighting device into the joint cavity through a small incision, and enlarge the internal structure of the joint cavity on a monitor to observe the lesions and parts in the joint cavity. Perform a comprehensive inspection and clean up the lesion. Arthroscopic surgery is a minimally invasive surgery with both diagnostic and therapeutic functions.

Basic Information

Chinese name: Arthroscopic surgery
Anesthesia: Local anesthesia, continuous epidural

Indication: Diagnosis and treatment of joint diseases
complication: Broken joint instruments, bleeding, infection
Postoperative management: Raise the affected limb, functional training

Arthroscopic anesthesia

Local anesthesia or continuous epidural anesthesia.

Preparation for arthroscopic surgery

1. Understand the patient's psychological response, strengthen nursing, let the patient understand the process and significance of the operation, build confidence and cooperate with the operation.

2. Learn more about the medical history and pay attention to the history of drug allergies.

3. Stop using anticoagulants before surgery.

4. Keep the skin of the surgical joint clean and avoid any abrasions, burns, cuts, scratches, infections, and other injuries in the surgical joint area.

5. Perform quadriceps isometric contraction exercise 1 day before surgery.

6. Preventive use of antibiotics within 0.5 to 2 hours before surgery.

Indications for arthroscopic surgery

Knee joint

Cruciate ligament injury, meniscus injury, synovitis, patellofemoral joint disease, knee joint adhesion, cartilage injury, intra-articular fracture, etc.

Shoulder joint

Shoulder joint dislocation, acromion impact sign, rotator cuff injury, upper labrum injury, adhesive joint arthritis, acromioclavicular joint damage, scapular nerve compression sign, etc.

3. Elbow joint

Elbow joint adhesion, cartilage damage, tennis elbow, osteoarthritis, synovial disease, etc.

4. wrist joint

Triangular cartilage injury, carpal tunnel syndrome, tendon sheath cyst, etc.

5. Hip joint

Femoral head-acetabular impingement syndrome, labrum injury, popping hip, round ligament injury, cartilage injury, synovitis, etc.

6. Ankle joint

Ankle impact syndrome, ligament damage, cartilage damage, synovial disease, etc.

Arthroscopic surgery

Shoulder arthroscopic surgery

Shoulder arthroscopy is suitable for surgical treatment of joint free body, biceps rupture, osteoarthritis and so on. When performing shoulder arthroscopy, patients usually need to be in the lateral position. In order to obtain a good surgical field and facilitate surgical operations, upper limb traction equipment is often required to maintain the design requirements for the outreach of the affected limb.

2. Elbow Arthroscopy

Applicable to elbow pain of unknown cause, those who cannot be diagnosed by other diagnostic methods, free body in the elbow joint, humeral head exfoliation, osteochondritis, cartilage debris removal and articular cartilage repair, rheumatoid or tuberculous acute and chronic synovitis for joint cleaning Partial resection of synovium, ulnar olecranon or osteophyte osteophyte arthroscopy, elbow fracture reduction and fixation, elbow arthroscopy release, septic arthritis joint cleanup, and ulna olecranon slip Treatment of bursitis, cubital tunnel syndrome, and tennis elbow.

3. Ankle Arthroscopy

Suitable for patients with persistent joint pain after trauma, judgment of the degree of injury; degenerative or rheumatoid arthritis lesions; non-specific synovial inflammation of the ankle joint; exfoliative osteochondritis or talar ischemic necrosis; removal of ligament damage before repair Cartilage damage can be observed in vivo or in vitro; arthroscopy can be performed with cartilage trimming, free body removal, or joint adhesion separation.

4. Hip Arthroscopy

It is effective for the treatment of some hip joint diseases that are not effective in conservative treatment. It can not only treat intra-articular lesions, but also can perform drilling and decompression. Compared with any hip-retaining surgery, it reduces the damage to joint blood flow and stability. It has played a positive role in reducing pain, improving joint mobility and delaying joint replacement time.

5. Knee Arthroscopy

In principle, all lesions in the knee joint are indications for knee arthroscopic surgery. The knee joint is the most developed area for key technologies and is the basis of arthroscopic surgery, including:

(1) Anterior cruciate ligament reconstruction.

(2) Reduction and fixation of intra-articular fractures.

(3) Resection, partial resection, suture and angioplasty of the meniscus.

(4) Synovial tissue biopsy and synovectomy.

(5) Removal of joint foreign bodies, crystals, fragments, and free bodies.

(6) The formation, transplantation, or cleaning of cartilage or osteochondral lesions.

(7) Correction of the sacrum axis.

(8) Arthrochondroplasty.

(9) Resection of osteophytes or tumors.

(10) Release of joint adhesion.

(11) Arthroscopy.

Arthroscopic surgery complications

Intra-articular instrument breakage, normal tissue damage in joints, tissue damage around arthroscopy entrance, extravasation of irrigation fluid, intra-articular hematoma, infection, other accidents such as re-fracture of sacrum, excessive bleeding or swelling, phlebitis, nerve damage Wait.

Postoperative Arthroscopic Nursing

1. Observe wound bleeding, exudate, limb swelling, pain, check the dorsal foot artery pulsation, and prevent blood circulation disorders caused by tight bandages. Pay attention to frostbite on ice.

2. Postoperatively raise the affected limb to reduce swelling of the limbs and keep the joints warm.

3. Perform quadriceps isometric contraction exercise on the first day after surgery to promote blood circulation and reduce swelling

4. After discharge, continue to perform functional exercises until the range of joint motion is normal, the pain disappears, and the lower limbs walk as usual.

5. If the incision is red, swollen, painful, or exudate, you should seek medical treatment in time.