Dr. Andrew Bulczynski, a board certified orthopedic surgeon, explains the benefits and best practices of knee arthroscopy:
"Several decades ago when arthroscopy was beginning to be utilized for joint pain, symptoms, and problems, arthroscopy had a fairly large role as a diagnostic tool. Now, we have advanced imaging such as an MRI, which helps us diagnose various problems before surgery. In this scenario, arthroscopy allows us to correlate the findings of an MRI and then actually confirm them. During arthroscopy, not only can we visualize the structures of the knee, but I can also put a probe on the different structures to evaluate, for example, a torn meniscus that may just initially visually look intact but actually may be torn.
One of the benefits of arthroscopic surgery is actually that the video image is magnified, so we can get a really good idea of the fine detail of the structures inside the knee. Some of the most common conditions in the knee are meniscus tears, cartilage tears, loose fragments of cartilage that move around the knee joint, all of which can be painful and can get swelling and fluid buildup inside the knee. These sorts of conditions are now routinely being treated on an outpatient basis—the patient goes home the same day. Arthroscopy has actually become a gold standard for diagnosing various conditions inside the knee."
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discmdgroup DISC Sports and Spine Center (DISC) is one of America’s foremost providers of minimally invasive spine procedures and advanced arthroscopic techniques. Our individually picked, highly specialized physicians apply both established and innovative solutions to diagnose, treat, and rehabilitate their patients in a one-stop, multi-disciplinary setting. With a wide range of specialists under one roof, the result is an unmatched continuity of care with more efficiency, less stress for the patient, and a zero MRSA infection rate. Read more articles by discmdgroup.
