Knee & Joint Arthroscopic Surgery

Delayed diagnosis can make a difference as to whether or not the tear is repairable. Early specialist assessment is recommended for a successful long-term outcome.

Knee arthroscopy is also commonly performed for treating ligamentous injuries. One of the most commonly injured ligaments in the knee joint is Anterior Cruciate Ligament (ACL). Initial diagnosis is confirmed by clinical assessment and MRI scans. Patients generally have ACL rupture following a sporting injury or a pivoting injury to the knee joint. The knee joint often swells up soon after the injury and may take a few days for the swelling to go down. Most patients develop instability related symptoms from the knee joint during day-to-day activities or during sporting activities. Knee arthroscopic surgery can be performed to assess and reconstruct the ACL using your own tendons (hamstrings) using a minimally invasive technique.

Knee arthroscopy is also useful in treating conditions like a loose body within the joint, problems with the lining of the joint, instability of the patellofemoral joint (knee cap moving in and out of the joint) and to assess the degree of wear and tear in the joint.

Risks and Benefits

Overall, knee arthroscopy is a very successful operation. It can successfully tackle problems with meniscus (cartilage), ligaments, or the lining of the joint.

Risks of knee arthroscopy include infection (<1%), bleeding, DVT (clots in your leg), PE (clots in your lung), medical and anesthetic complications.

Rehabilitation and Recovery

You are generally admitted to the hospital on the day of surgery. Knee arthroscopy is performed as a day case procedure. During the hospital stay, a multi-disciplinary team including an orthopaedic team, ward doctor, nursing staff, and physiotherapist treats you. Once you and the team are happy with the progress, you are discharged from the hospital.

Post-operative mobilization includes the use of walking aids like crutches, to begin with. You can subsequently commence independent mobilization as soon as your pain allows.

You will generally have two small cuts on the skin around the joint. I normally use sterile-strips (tapes) on these wounds, which gives a nice scar and avoids the need for the sutures to be removed.

Full recovery following knee arthroscopy can be expected within a maximum of 4 to 6 weeks in the vast majority of patients.

• Knee Arthroscopy
• Meniscal Injuries

Frequently Asked Questions

Q1. What is knee arthroscopic surgery?
Knee arthroscopy is a minimally invasive (“keyhole”) surgical procedure that uses a small camera called an arthroscope to look inside your knee joint. It can diagnose and treat problems like torn cartilage, ligament damage, and arthritis by allowing the surgeon to view the joint on a screen and then repair or remove damaged tissue using small, specialised instruments inserted through tiny incisions.

Q2. What is the recovery time for arthroscopic knee surgery?
Recovery from arthroscopic knee surgery varies but can range from one week to several months, depending on the procedure’s complexity and individual factors.

Q3. How serious is arthroscopic knee surgery?
Arthroscopic knee surgery is generally a safe, minimally invasive procedure with a fast recovery, but it carries small risks of complications like infection, bleeding, blood clots, and nerve or tissue damage, which are rare.

Q4. What is the cost of arthroscopy knee surgery?
The cost of knee arthroscopy in the UK privately varies, with guide prices ranging from approximately £3,600 to over £5,300, though this can change based on location, the hospital, the complexity of the procedure, and the specific surgeon’s fees.

Q5. How to recover after arthroscopic knee surgery?
To recover from arthroscopic knee surgery, manage pain and swelling with rest, elevation, ice, and compression. Follow your physiotherapy exercises to regain movement and strength, ensuring you balance activity and rest to avoid overexertion.

Q6. What is the recovery rate for knee surgery?
Knee surgery recovery is a gradual process; many patients resume daily activities within six weeks but can take 6-12 months or even up to a year for full strength, function, and minimal pain, with the total healing continuing for up to two years for some aspects.

Q7. How long are you off work after arthroscopic knee surgery?
Time off work after arthroscopic knee surgery depends on your job type and recovery speed, but typically ranges from a few days for desk jobs to several weeks for physical jobs, potentially up to six weeks or more if the work involves heavy lifting, squatting, or standing for extended periods.

Q8. How long do stitches stay in after arthroscopic knee surgery?
Stitches typically stay in for seven to fourteen days after arthroscopic knee surgery, though some may be absorbable and do not need removal.

Q9. How to sleep after knee arthroscopy?
To sleep comfortably and promote healing after a knee arthroscopy, sleep on your back with pillows to elevate your leg, which helps reduce swelling and improves blood flow.

Q10. How long should you wear a knee brace in a day?
The recommended wear time for a knee brace varies significantly depending on the specific brace, the injury or condition, and the advice of a healthcare professional. While some braces are worn only during activity to manage pain, others, such as post-surgery or range-of-motion (ROM) braces, may be required at all times, including while sleeping, except for hygiene and skin checks.

Q11. Is knee arthroscopy considered major surgery?
No, knee arthroscopy is not a major surgery; it is a minimally invasive procedure that uses small incisions to visualize and treat problems within the knee joint.

Q12. Which is better, arthroscopy or knee replacement?
Neither knee arthroscopy nor knee replacement (arthroplasty) is inherently “better”; arthroscopy is for minor issues like meniscal tears or diagnostics, while knee replacement is for severe, bone-on-bone damage, as indicated by a recent Harvard Health article.

Q13. How to recover after arthroscopic knee surgery?
To recover from arthroscopic knee surgery, manage pain and swelling with ice, elevation, and prescribed medication, carefully follow your surgeon’s and physical therapist’s instructions for movement and exercises to regain strength and flexibility, protect your wounds, and gradually return to normal activity, avoiding high-impact movements for several weeks.

Q14. Who needs arthroscopic surgery?
People who need arthroscopic surgery typically experience persistent joint pain, swelling, or stiffness that hasn’t improved with non-surgical treatments and have a condition that can be diagnosed and treated through a small incision.