In the past, treatment of orthopedic injuries involved extensive surgery, including large incisions, a hospital stay, and a prolonged recovery period. But today, with the help of an arthroscope, today's orthopedic surgeon can easily examine, diagnose, and treat problems in the joint that previously may have been difficult to identify.

The arthroscope is a small fiber-optic viewing instrument made up of a tiny lens, light source and video camera.

The surgical instruments used in arthroscopic surgery are very small (only 3 or 4 mm in diameter), but appear much larger when viewed through an arthroscope. Shown at right -- both as it appears on the operating table and when viewed arthroscopically -- is a probe, used for examination of internal structures (in this case the underside of a patella, or kneecap).

The surgeon inserts the arthroscope into the joint through a tiny incision (about 1/4 of an inch) called a portal. Two or three incisions may be made for portals. Other portals are used for the insertion of surgical instruments, such as the probe shown above. Typical incision sites and sizes for knee arthroscopy are shown at left. These incisions result in very small scars which in many cases are unnoticeable.

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