Arthroscopy, also termed as arthroscopic surgery, is a minimally invasive surgical procedure used by surgeons to examine, diagnose, view and treat wear and tear and traumatic injuries related to the interior of a joint. This procedure is performed using an arthroscope, which is inserted into the joint through a small incision in the patient’s skin. Arthroscopic procedures are usually carried out either to examine and treat many orthopedic conditions. The main advantage of arthroscopy is that the joint is not completely opened like in surgery. This reduces
- Chances of infection
- Bleeding
- Hastens recovery
Small incisions are made to insert the arthroscope and small surgical instruments. The joints are inflated using irrigation fluid to make a surgical space. Arthroscopic Surgeons observe the joint area on a video, monitor to diagnose the extent of the injury and then repair torn joint tissue, such as ligaments and menisci or cartilage. Arthroscopy is commonly used for joints of the knee, shoulder, elbow, wrist, ankle, foot, and rarely for the hip joint. These conditions are corrected or repaired inside the joint cavity.
- Torn floating cartilages removed
- Torn surface cartilages repaired
- PRP and Cartilage culture techniques for cartilage repair
- Anterior Cruciate Ligament [ACL] reconstruction
- Trimming damaged cartilage
Sports Injuries:
Injuries routinely suffered by athletes in professional sports are called Sports Injuries. Traumatic or overuse sporting injuries are a result of contact sports such as Football, Cricket, Tennis, Rugby, Kabbadi, Kho-Kho, etc. Contact Sports result in bruises, muscle strains, fractures, and head injuries.
- Bruise or contusion is damage to small blood vessels which causes minor internal bleeding.
- Muscle strain is a small tear of muscle fibers.
- A ligament sprain is a small tear of ligament tissue.
Signs and Symptoms:
The body responds to all injuries with inflammation that is characterized by pain, localized swelling, heat, redness, and loss of joint function. The inflammatory stage is the first phase of healing. However, too much of an inflammatory response in the early stage can mean that the healing process would be longer and returning back to normalcy is delayed. The sports injury treatments accelerate the overall healing process by minimizing the inflammatory phase of an injury.
Arthroscopy is the best treatment for professional athletes who suffer from recurrent injuries of the shoulder or knee joints and need to get better soon and resume their sport.
Sports Medicine:
Sports medicine is a branch of medicine that deals with physical fitness and the treatment and prevention of injuries related to sports and exercise. Sports teams have employed team physicians since 70 years, but only in the late 20th century that sports medicine has emerged as a distinct field of health care.
Common sports injuries:
- Concussions
- Muscle cramps
- ACL sprains
- ACL tears
- Ankle sprains
- Shin splints
- Muscle strains
Sports today:
Apart from cricket, young and old people are pursuing many sports like basketball, football, table tennis, tennis, badminton, swimming, and golf to name a few. Competitive sports may involve injury and the need to quickly recover for the next game. Athletics is also gaining popularity. The Race Knee Clinic sports medicine department focuses on preventing sports injuries and helping athletes recover from their injuries as soon as possible.