The knee is an important joint in the body, allowing us to walk, run, jump, stand, and sit. However, the knee joint is also highly susceptible to injury from external or internal factors, such as accidents, trauma, degeneration, and inflammation.
People with knee problems experience pain, swelling, stiffness, difficulty moving, and limited mobility.
In terms of treatment methods, knee arthroscopy is a minimally invasive technique that is widely applied to many knee conditions, with many notable advantages. Knee arthroscopy is a method that uses a camera and arthroscopic instruments to observe and treat injuries inside the knee joint, without needing to open the knee joint as in traditional open surgery. Knee arthroscopy has many advantages over open surgery, such as causing less tissue damage, faster wound recovery time, lower risk of wound infection, and the ability to properly observe and treat injuries inside the joint.
Less tissue damage
One of the greatest advantages of knee arthroscopy is that it causes less damage to the tissue surrounding the knee joint, such as skin, muscle, blood vessels, and nerves, compared to open surgery. This is because knee arthroscopy only requires 2-4 small incisions in the skin, 0.5-1cm in diameter, to insert the camera and arthroscopic instruments into the joint. These small incisions are closed with absorbable sutures after surgery. In open surgery, on the other hand, the surgeon must make a large incision, 10-15cm long, to access the knee joint. This large incision causes extensive tissue damage and significant bleeding, and must be closed with metal or synthetic sutures after surgery.
Faster wound recovery time
Because it causes less tissue damage, knee arthroscopy also helps wounds heal faster than open surgery. The average hospital stay for patients undergoing knee arthroscopy is only 1-2 days, while patients undergoing open surgery must stay in the hospital for a minimum of 3-5 days. In addition, patients undergoing knee arthroscopy can also begin moving earlier, after just 1-2 weeks, while patients undergoing open knee surgery must rest for 4-6 weeks. This allows patients undergoing knee arthroscopy to return to their normal life and activities sooner.
Lower risk of wound infection
Because the wound is smaller and involves less bleeding, knee arthroscopy also reduces the risk of wound infection compared to open surgery. Surgical site infection is a dangerous complication that can cause inflammation, pus, fever, pain, swelling, loss of joint function, and even sepsis (blood infection). According to a 2018 study by the National University Hospital of Singapore, "the surgical site infection rate after knee arthroscopy is 0.6%, while the surgical site infection rate after open knee surgery is 2.4%." This shows that knee arthroscopy is safer and causes fewer complications than open surgery.
Better ability to observe and treat injuries inside the joint
Another advantage of knee arthroscopy is the ability to properly observe and treat injuries inside the knee joint, such as ligament tears, meniscus tears, and synovitis, without needing to open the knee joint as in open surgery. This helps protect the structures inside the knee joint, reducing the risk of complications and after-effects following surgery. Knee arthroscopy uses a magnifying camera, allowing the doctor to clearly observe injuries inside the knee joint, and uses arthroscopic instruments to cut, suture, connect, fix, and remove damaged tissue. Knee arthroscopy can be applied in treating many knee conditions, such as:
Anterior cruciate ligament tear: The anterior cruciate ligament is an important ligament that helps stabilize the knee joint. When the ACL tears, the knee joint becomes unstable, prone to abnormal slipping and rotation. Knee arthroscopy can repair or replace the torn ACL with an artificial ligament or a bone-ligament graft taken from the patient's own body.
Meniscus tear: The meniscus is a soft, crescent-shaped cartilage located on either side of the knee joint, helping cushion and distribute load across the joint. When the meniscus tears, the knee joint becomes painful, swollen, stiff, and difficult to move, with a clicking sound. Knee arthroscopy can repair, remove, or replace the torn meniscus with an artificial meniscus or a cartilage graft taken from the patient's own body.
Synovitis: The synovium is a thin membrane surrounding the knee joint that produces synovial fluid to lubricate the joint. When the synovium becomes inflamed, the knee joint becomes painful, swollen, hot, stiff, and difficult to move, and may contain pus. Knee arthroscopy can remove or clean the inflamed synovium, reducing inflammation and improving joint mobility.
Knee arthroscopy is a modern, effective, and safe technique with many advantages over traditional open surgery.
At the General Surgery Department, HIU Hospital, knee arthroscopy is a method that is routinely applied in treating many knee conditions, with the goal of giving patients the best treatment outcomes, faster recovery, and an early return to movement and normal activities.
In addition, at the General Surgery Department, HIU Hospital, with a team of experienced, dedicated specialists, doctors, and medical staff, together with a modern equipment system and continuous updates on advanced techniques from around the world, we are committed to delivering the best possible healthcare services for patients with bone and joint conditions in particular, and other conditions in general.