If you have nagging knee pain that is impairing your mobility and is not getting better with treatments like rest, ice, medication, and even physical therapy, your orthopedic knee doctor may recommend an outpatient knee procedure called knee arthroscopy. This treatment allows your knee doctor not only to investigate the internal structure of the knee and see what may be causing your knee pain, but the doctor can also correct the problem, such as by removing small bone shards which may be in your knee, or by shaving down a bone spur in the knee.
Let’s discuss when a knee scope procedure is performed, what the procedure is like, and where you can go to see a trusted knee doctor right here in Boynton Beach in Palm Beach County.
When Would Your Knee Doctor Perform Arthroscopy?
If your knee doctor has ruled out osteoarthritis as the cause of your knee pain, then arthroscopy may be able to address the problem. Knee arthritis cannot be resolved through arthroscopy, as that usually warrants a knee replacement in order to correct the issue.
Causes of knee pain that can be diagnosed and treated with knee arthroscopy include:
- Swollen knee synovium (part of the lining of your knee joint)
- Fractured knee bone
- Dislocated patella (kneecap)
- Torn meniscus (knee cartilage)
- Torn ligament (anterior cruciate ligament [ACL] or posterior cruciate ligament [PCL])
- Loose pieces of cartilage in your knee joint
- A Baker’s cyst (a fluid-filled lump at the back of the knee)
- Knee sepsis (infection)
What Is the Knee Scope Procedure Like?
Two or three small incisions will first be made around your knee. Then, the knee joint will be filled with a sterile solution to enable your orthopedic knee doctor to clearly see the structures inside your knee.
Your knee surgeon will insert the thin arthroscope into one of the incisions, and the doctor will then view the real-time images of your knee on a monitor there in the operating room. If the doctor can then treat your knee problem, the surgeon will insert a tiny, specialized instrument through the other small incision to make the repairs as necessary.
The entire outpatient procedure lasts less than an hour, and it can be performed in your surgeon’s office. The recovery is much quicker than after conventional knee surgery.
Knee Doctor in Boynton Beach, FL
If you’re ready to have a professional medical evaluation and possible treatment for your knee pain, visit us at Personalized Orthopedics of the Palm Beaches. We have a team of highly trained, board-certified knee doctors and physical therapists, and we can provide you with high-quality surgical and nonsurgical treatments for your knee problems. We also offer total and partial knee replacement surgery to treat knee arthritis.
If you have any questions or would like to schedule a consultation with one of our knee doctors, call our office today. You can also fill out our appointment request form online. We look forward to helping you get your knee back and working again!
This article is for general education and is not medical advice. For advice about your condition, talk with your physician. Request an appointment with our team.
