What is an arthroscopy?
Arthroscopy is a form of surgery used to diagnose and treat joint problems.
Why have an arthroscopy?
An arthroscopy is done when a doctor wants to inspect the inside of a joint. They use an instrument called an arthroscope. This is a small, fibre-optic video camera attached to a narrow tube. The arthroscope can take live images inside the joint.
Arthroscopy can be used to help diagnose a problem in a joint, and can also help guide surgical repair of a joint problem. The surgery is done with narrow, pencil-shaped surgical implements, which cause less damage than open surgery.