Knee pain affects your ability to use your knee and leg, which inhibits your ability to walk, run, and perform many other daily tasks. In these cases, medical professionals can treat your knee pain to restore your ability to walk and perform other activities.
Treatments for knee pain vary depending on the cause and severity. In some cases, all you need is a little rest, exercise, and mediation. In other cases, though, you’ll need arthroscopic knee surgery.
Arthroscopic knee surgery is a technique for repairing the knee without making large incisions to provide the surgeon a visual. Instead, the surgeon can view the operation area from a video feed provided by a tiny camera attached to an arthroscopic tube that is inserted into the knee. Performing knee surgery this way reduces the risks of blood loss and infection.
Types of arthroscopic surgery for the knee
Surgeons are able to treat a variety of conditions with arthroscopic knee surgery. Here are some of the frequently performed arthroscopic procedures your surgeon might use to treat your knee pain:
- Torn tissue repair — Torn tendons and muscles in the knee can usually heal with time and physical therapy techniques. However, severe tears are not always treatable with these methods. Arthroscopic knee surgery can reattach the torn tissue to the correct positions in the joint.
- Lateral release — It’s possible for the kneecap to dislocate from its groove, which causes pain and makes it difficult to bend your knee. One of the main causes of this condition is the tissue that is too tense on the outside of the knee. Lateral release surgery can loosen these ligaments to help prevent them from pulling the kneecap out of place.
- Torn meniscus repair — The menisci are C-shaped discs of cartilage in the knees that prevent friction between the shin and thigh bones on each side of the joint. A sudden twisting motion of the knee can cause a meniscus to tear, which is painful and limits your range of motion. Arthroscopic surgery can repair the meniscus or remove a portion of the damaged area to reduce pain and improve your range of motion.
- Torn anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) reconstruction — The ACL is a ligament that runs through the center of your knee. It stabilizes the knee by preventing it from twisting too far from side to side. When the ACL is torn in an injury, you can lose the ability to use your knee for a variety of activities. Torn ACL reconstruction can help you regain the use of your knee after an ACL injury.
- Microfracture — If part of the cartilage in your knee is damaged, a surgeon may use microfracture to stimulate the growth of new cartilage tissue. This is done by creating tiny fractures in the bones to allow the marrow cells to enter the damaged area and grow cartilage tissue.
Visit the iRISE Spine and Joint Institute for arthroscopic knee surgery
Our surgeons at the iRISE Spine and Joint Institute specialize in many types of arthroscopic knee surgery. Contact our team today for more information about arthroscopic knee surgery or to schedule an appointment.
