The Knee joint is one of the largest joints in the body in which the thigh bone femur articulates with the leg bone tibia and the knee cap (patella).The ligaments and meniscus of the knee joint give it stability and also maintain a harmonious joint movement. The meniscus serve as cushions and also preserve cartilage allowing smooth painfree knee motion.
Meniscus
Menisci or ligaments may get torn due to some rotational or sports injury of the knee joint and cause severe impairment in physical activity especially in young people. They feel pain and instability of the knee joint and may also experience intermittent locking of the knee joint. Long term complications include early arthritis of the joint leading to replacement.
Knee arthroscopy:
The knee arthroscopy is a minimally invasive surgery to treat internal derangements of the knee joints with the help of endoscope. The surgery is done with specialised instruments using only keyhole incisions. Recovery is faster with minimal pain and lesser or no hospital stay. Since the surgeons views the image on video screen no large incisions are required. Treatment of Knee injuries using arthroscopy helps the patient to return to their active lifestyle faster with minimal scar
SURGERY:
Surgery is generally done in spinal anaethesia and takes a few hours to perform. Like any surgery it may have complications related to anaesthesia, bleeding, infection, blood clots in the legs or lungs, knee stiffness, nerve injury causing numbness or weakness. However with proper precautions the complication rate is below 5%.
After the surgery patient may be discharged after 1-2 days. The patient is generally allowed partial weight bearing in a day or two depending on his surgical condition. Physiotherapy is an important part of treatment and is generally started on Day 2 after surgery. Physiotherapy is continued till the patient gains full movement and strength of the leg.