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This animation shows what happens during knee arthroscopy.
This procedure is also called keyhole knee surgery.
Click the navigation arrows below the animation screen to play, pause, rewind
or fast-forward the animation. This animation contains sound.
Your knee joint is made up of the ends of the thigh bone (femur)
and the shin bone (tibia).
These normally glide over each other smoothly because they are covered by
smooth articular cartilage.
The joint is held in place by ligaments and
covered at the front by the knee cap (patella).
Arthroscopy is used to examine the knee
to help diagnose problems.
It can also enable surgeons to treat a variety of knee conditions and injuries.
You may be given a general anaesthetic.
This means you will be asleep during the operation and feel no pain.
Alternatively, you may be given a regional anaesthetic,
in which drugs are injected into a space around the spinal cord,
or a local anaesthetic.
Both block feeling in the knee area and will allow you to stay awake
during the operation.
Once the anaesthetic has taken effect,
small incisions will be made in the knee area.
Sterile fluid will be pumped into the knee joint through the first incision.
This expands the joint to help produce a clearer picture for the surgeon.
A telescopic camera called an arthroscope will be inserted through the second incision.
Your surgeon will look through this and the image will probably be projected
onto a video screen.
Here is the type of image your surgeon will see.
Your surgeon will look inside your knee joint to see if there is any damage.
Your surgeon may pass instruments through the third incision to repair
damage or remove material that interferes with movement or causes pain in the knee.
Your surgeon may remove tissue if it is affecting the movement of your knee.
After your surgeon has finished the examination, and any treatment,
the fluid which was pumped into your knee joint at the start of the procedure
will be drained out.
The cuts will be closed with stitches or adhesive strips.
Here we show the adhesive strips which are called steristrips.
A dressing and bandage will be wrapped around your knee.
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