Knee Arthroscopy

If you have persistent pain, catching, or swelling in your knee, a procedure known as arthroscopy may help relieve these problems.

Arthroscopy can be used to diagnose and treat many of these problems:

• Torn meniscal cartilage.
• Loose fragments of bone or cartilage.
• Damaged joint surfaces or softening of the articular cartilage known as chondromalacia.
• Inflammation of the synovial membrane, such as rheumatoid or gouty arthritis.
• Abnormal alignment or instability of the kneecap.
• Torn ligaments including the anterior and posterior cruciate ligaments.

How is arthroscopic surgery performed?

Arthroscopic surgery is a procedure that is used to look inside a joint. Through one small incision (about 1 centimeter) a small camera, about the size of a pencil, is inserted into the joint. Then using one or more other small incisions, your surgeon places other instruments inside the knee to remove the torn cartilage.

You should discuss with your physician the appropriate exercises for the surgery that you underwent. Arthroscopic surgery encompasses a large number of procedures. Most of them do center around building the quadriceps muscle strength.