Arthroscopic Surgery at Orthopaedic Associates
Our board-certified, fellowship-trained orthopaedic surgeons at Orthopaedic Associates in Central Maryland provide leading-edge orthopaedic techniques, including arthroscopic surgery for the elbow, hip, knee, and shoulder. Arthroscopic surgery is used to diagnose and repair injuries or conditions in the joints.
Arthroscopic surgery, also referred to as arthroscopy, uses an arthroscope to guide the orthopaedic surgeon during a procedure. An arthroscope is a thin viewing instrument with a lens and a light that enables doctors to see inside a joint without having to open the joint up.
Arthroscopy allows orthopaedic surgeons to diagnose and repair conditions at the same time with slender surgical instruments that are inserted through the arthroscope. Arthroscopic procedures only require two or three small incisions, which means there is less bleeding, less pain, decreased risk of infection, and faster recovery time than with traditional open surgeries.
Learn more below about the conditions for which arthroscopy may be used. To schedule an appointment with one of our doctors, call (410) 644-1880 or use our online form.
CONDITIONS WE MAY TREAT WITH ARTHROSCOPY
Reconstruction of the ACL is one of the most commonly performed arthroscopic surgeries. The goal of ACL repair is to reconstruct your knee joint to restore its function and stability and prevent further injury.
During surgery, your doctor will replace your damaged ACL with a healthy tendon, called a graft. It may be taken from an area near your knee or from a donor cadaver. Your surgeon will make one or more small incisions near your knee joint. Your new graft will be attached using surgical hardware that is inserted through one of the incisions.
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Shoulder impingement syndrome occurs when the space beneath the acromion (a large bony projection on the end of the shoulder blade) is too small for the rotator cuff tendons. The space may be too narrow because of structural abnormalities in the shoulder bones, bone spurs, or thickened tissues.
Using arthroscopic surgery, your surgeon can enlarge the space beneath the acromion to allow the tendons to glide freely. He or she may remove bone spurs, the front edge of the acromion, and the inflamed portion of the bursa.
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Your knee joint contains two C-shaped cartilage discs called menisci that act as shock absorbers when you walk or run and help the knee to glide smoothly when in motion. The menisci can tear during strong twisting motions of the knee.
Most meniscus repairs are performed as arthroscopic surgery on an outpatient basis. The goal of surgery is to repair only the damaged part of the meniscus while preserving healthy meniscus tissue. Using surgical instruments inserted through one of the incisions, your surgeon will trim the torn pieces of the meniscus and smooth the remaining meniscus with a surgical shaver.
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Whether you need surgery for a rotator cuff tear typically depends on the extent of damage. A complete tear will almost certainly require surgical repair. There are several surgical approaches, including minimally invasive arthroscopy.
First, your surgeon will make several small incisions around your shoulder joint. Using an arthroscope and small surgical instruments inserted through the incisions, he or she will repair damaged muscles and reconstruct injured tendons with a graft tendon from another part of the body. Your surgeon may also remove damaged tissue and bone spurs from the rotator cuff if necessary.
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