When an arthroscopy may be used

An arthroscopy can becarried outto help diagnose and treat a number of joint problems and conditions.

Diagnosing joint problems

An arthroscopy can be used to help investigate:

• Joint pain
• joint stiffness
• swelling of the joint
• the joint giving way or "popping" out of position

Theseproblems are usually first investigated using X-rays , computerised tomography (CT) scans or magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) scans . If these scans don't find anything, itmay be necessary to take a direct look at the inside of the joint.

An arthroscopy can also be used to assess the level of joint damage resulting from an injury,such as a sports injury , or from underlying conditions that can cause joint damage, such as osteoarthritis .

Treating joint problems and conditions

Fine surgical instruments can be used along with an arthroscope to allow a surgeon to treat a range of joint problems and conditions. For example, an arthroscopy can be used to:

• repair damaged cartilage, tendons and ligaments(for example, in knee ligament surgery )
• remove inflamed tissue
• remove small sections of boneandcartilage that have broken off andare loose within the joint
• drain away an excess build-up of synovial fluid (which lubricates the joint)

Conditions that can be treated with arthroscopy include:

• arthritis a common condition that causes pain and inflammation within a joint
• Baker's cyst a build-up ofsynovial fluid inside a joint, leading to stiffness and swelling
• frozen shoulder pain and stiffness in the shoulder that tends to get gradually worse
• carpal tunnel syndrome a tingling sensation, numbness and sometimes pain in the hand and fingers
• arthrofibrosisexcess scar tissue caused by a previous injury that disrupts the normal workings of the joint
• bone spurs abnormal bone growths that can cause persistent pain
• synovitis inflammation of the joint lining
• temporomandibular disorder (TMD) a problem that affects the joint between the lower jaw and the base of the skull