What to Expect During Your Knee Arthroscopy Recovery

Arthroscopic surgery, or arthroscopy, is a minimally invasive surgical procedure that allows an orthopedic surgeon to examine, diagnose, and even treat joint-related issues. This surgery can be used on any joint, but it’s commonly used on the knees.

Knee arthroscopy is a commonplace surgery and eliminates the need for more invasive and exploratory procedures.

Whether you have an acute knee injury or a chronic knee ailment, knee arthroscopy can find the root issue and make necessary repairs. And even though knee arthroscopy is a minor and commonly performed surgery, it still requires incisions, anesthesia, and a recovery period.

At Valley Orthopedic Institute in Palmdale and Ridgecrest, California, orthopedic experts Anand Shah, MD, Mehul Taylor, MD, and Adam Amir, DO, lead our team in performing arthroscopic surgeries to accurately diagnose and subsequently treat joint issues.

In this month’s blog, we discuss knee issues that can be addressed with knee arthroscopy and how to ensure a smooth recovery.

When is knee arthroscopy necessary?

The bones, ligaments, tendons, and cartilage that make up your knee are all susceptible to acute injuries and chronic diseases.

There are many different techniques that our Valley Orthopedic Institute team uses to diagnose your particular knee issue, including physical exams and imaging tests such as X-rays. If these are incomplete or inconclusive, knee arthroscopy is the next step.

You may also need knee arthroscopy if you’ve been dealing with chronic knee pain that hasn’t responded well to conservative treatments, such as rest and physical therapy.

Common knee issues that often require arthroscopic surgery include:

Bursitis
Torn meniscus
Anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) or medial collateral ligament (MCL) tears
Knee fracture
Inflamed knee cartilage (synovitis)

Sometimes arthroscopy may need to be combined with open surgery, depending on the severity of your knee damage.

What happens during knee arthroscopy?

Even though knee arthroscopy is a minor procedure, it’s still done in a hospital setting with surgical instruments.

Your surgeon begins the procedure by making a few small incisions, no bigger than a buttonhole. These incisions provide access for the arthroscope, a thin tube attached to a camera. The arthroscope gives your surgeon real-time imaging of your knee, so they can use additional tools to make necessary repairs.

After the damage has been repaired, your surgeon closes the incisions and applies a surgical dressing. Knee arthroscopy is an outpatient procedure, meaning you can go home the same day.

How to recover from knee arthroscopy

For the first few days, you will probably experience mild to moderate pain and stiffness. During this initial recovery stage, stay off your feet as much as possible, elevate your knee while resting, take pain medication as prescribed, and keep your surgical incisions covered.

After you’ve healed from the procedure, you’ll undergo physical therapy with our team to regain strength, mobility, and flexibility.

Although knee arthroscopy doesn’t need as much recovery time as traditional open surgery, it may still be several weeks before you can resume your routine and strenuous physical activity.

To learn more about knee arthroscopy and what to expect from the procedure, reach out to our team by calling your nearest office location or using our online contacting feature today.