Damage, wear and tear and inflammations of joints and the associated chronic pain are conditions which are very often confronted by sports medicine specialists.
In such cases, arthroscopy is a particularly helpful procedure for physicians and patients: It provides diagnostic insights when imaging techniques such as x-ray do not provide clarification.
Arthroscopy allows larger surgical operations without long-term consequences. During an arthroscopy, a small plastic tube, called a cannula, is inserted into the skin above the joint through an incision that is normally one to two centimeters long. A tiny video camera is guided through the cannula into the joint and an accurate diagnosis can then be made from the image. Instruments are then inserted through other cannulas, for example, to remove inflamed tissue, to repair damaged tendons or to restore bones. The surgeon works with millimeter precision and follows events on a video screen. The operation leaves no large scars and physical recovery is much faster than traditional procedures.
Arthroscopy is used in many areas of the Competence Centre for Sports Medicine and Trauma Surgery at the Vienna Private Hospital, for example, for knee, shoulder, wrist and ankle operations.