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Knee arthroscopy

KNEE ANATOMY 

The knee is basically made up of bones covered by cartilage tissue, ligaments and soft tissues like the meniscus.  These structures must function harmoniously to provide stability, and so the knee can have a smooth and painless movement.

Any injury caused on these structures will lead to symptoms such as pain, swelling, instability, locking, cracking and loss of movement.

Many of the injuries can be treated thanks to arthroscopic surgery.

 

SURGICAL TECHNIQUE 

Knee arthroscopy is a surgical technique where two small incisions are made on the front of your knee; each cut is approximately 1cm long.  A small camera is inserted through one of these incisions, while the other incision is used for the surgical instruments to be used in the knee cavity.

The advantages of this surgical technique include: less scarring, minimal blood loss, decreased infection rates, and reduced postoperative recovery time. 

A knee arthroscopy will most likely be performed as an outpatient. This means patient will be discharged home on the same day of the surgery.

RECOVERY TIME

Recovery time after having a knee arthroscopy will be different from one patient to another, as it depends on the surgery intervention and the level of physical activity practised by the patient before the surgery. Recovery can take several weeks or even months, and will always require rehabilitation in order to restore your knee mobility and strength. 

After surgery, you must use crutches or canes and the weight load permitted on the operated leg will depend on the procedure performed. Pain and discomfort are normal after the surgery, and they will gradually subside after a few days. 

You will need to visit your surgeon about two weeks after your surgery to check on your progress, and you should have started your rehabilitation programme and discontinued the use of crutches by then. This is the protocol for a partial meniscus arthroscopic resection.