What Conditions Can an Arthroscopy Help Diagnose?
Taking care of your joints is an essential part of your health. Your joints are one of many types of connective tissue that enable your body to move and function properly. However, many conditions, injuries, and diseases can inhibit proper joint function. Because joints are inside the body, it can be difficult to properly diagnose these conditions. Thankfully, an arthroscopy can get an internal view of your joints and help catch issues early. Let’s take a look at what an arthroscopy is and what conditions it can help diagnose.
What Is an Arthroscopy?
An arthroscopy is a surgical procedure where an arthroscope is used to view the joints. The procedure is minimally invasive and uses a pencil-sized tube with a camera on the end so your doctor can see inside the body. This flexible tube’s camera is connected to a nearby monitor where your doctor can view your joint in real-time. This lets your doctor check for injuries, damage, or abnormalities. This is how your doctor can diagnose hidden issues without the need to open the body with surgical instruments.
Diagnosable Conditions
An arthroscopy is not a corrective or rehabilitative treatment. Instead, it is used to diagnose and help a doctor get a better idea of what’s happening in your joints. Let’s go over some common conditions where this is useful.
Bone Spurs
Bone spurs are small boney projections that often form where bones meet each other at the joint. Bone spurs are most commonly found in the hip, knee, and spine. Most bone spurs are asymptomatic and cause no pain. However, they can sometimes cause pain and swelling and limit the range of motion.
Cartilage Tears
Tears in the cartilage can happen from an injury or medical condition. This can cause pain, catching, limited range of motion, and stiffness. This can An arthroscopy can commonly help diagnose a tear in the hip joint cartilage.
Ligament Tears
Ligaments are essential connective tissue that can become torn from strenuous activities or injuries. This is common in the knee with ACL or MCL tears. An arthroscopy is often used to properly determine the severity of the tear.
Seeking Treatment
An arthroscopy is an essential part of the diagnostic process for major joint issues. That’s why Dr. John Moore includes arthroscopies as part of his diagnostic toolkit. Dr. Moore is a Board Certified Orthopaedic Surgeon who brings decades of experience to every procedure. If you’re in need of orthopaedic assistance or require an arthroscopy, contact Dr. Moore’s office at 910-295-0224 today.
