What Is a Knee Arthroscopy? Medical Terminology Challenge
Show what you know by taking the multiple-choice Medical Terminology Challenge below related to a knee arthroscopy. Select the best answer and then compare your answer to the answer and rationale provided.
Medical Terminology Challenge – Knee Arthroscopy
Question: What is a knee arthroscopy?
A. A surgical procedure used to replace the knee’s damaged or worn surfaces with an implant or prosthesis to relieve pain and increase mobility.
B. An incision of a joint usually performed to gain access for a surgical procedure, such as a joint replacement.
C. A surgical procedure that allows a physician to view the knee joint without making a large incision through the skin and other soft tissues.
D. A procedure that fuses the thigh bone to the lower leg bone at the knee and joins together the end of the bones with metal plates or rods.
Answer:
C. A surgical procedure that allows a physician to view the knee joint without making a large incision through the skin and other soft tissues.
Breaking down medical terms is essential for anyone working in healthcare. It helps us determine the meaning of a term.
‘Let’s break down the term arthroscopy:
arthr/o means joint; -scopy means visual examination. Arthroscopy is the visual examination of the internal structure of a joint using an arthroscope.
What is a Knee Arthroscopy?
An arthroscopy is a procedure a physician carries out to look at the knee joint without having to make a large cut through the skin and other soft tissues.
According to the American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons, arthroscopy helps a physician make a diagnosis and treat many different types of knee problems. During the procedure, the surgeon inserts an arthroscope, a small camera, into the knee joint and takes pictures that can be seen on a video monitor. These images help the physician to direct the small surgical instruments.
Since the arthroscope and surgical instruments are so thin and only small incisions are needed, this results in much less pain than an open surgery with a larger incision. It also benefits the patient by causing much less stiffness in the joint and a shorter recovery time.
A physician may recommend a knee arthroscopy if pain and inflammation are involved and other nonsurgical treatments fail, such as rest, physical therapy, medications, and injections.
Short Video Demonstrating a Knee Arthroscopy
The following 3-minute video shows how a knee arthroscopy is performed.
Incorrect Answers
A, B, and D are incorrect.
A. A knee arthroscopy is not a surgical procedure used to replace the knee’s damaged or worn surfaces with an implant or prosthesis to relieve pain and increase mobility. Rather, knee replacement, also called knee arthroplasty or total knee replacement is a surgical procedure used to replace the damaged or worn surfaces of the knee with an implant or prosthesis to relieve pain and increase mobility. According to Johns Hopkins Medicine, knee arthroplasty may be considered in individuals with severe arthritis or a severe knee injury and entails capping the ends of the bones of the knee joint and knee cap with metal and plastic parts.
B. A knee arthroscopy is not an incision of a joint usually performed to gain access for a surgical procedure, such as a joint replacement. Instead, according to iCliniq, a knee arthrotomy is a procedure in which the joint is incised, usually to gain access for a surgical procedure, such as a joint replacement. This surgical procedure allows surgeons to determine the extent of the damage, perform repairs, and address underlying injuries.
D. A knee arthroscopy is not a procedure that fuses the thigh bone to the lower leg bone at the knee and joins together the end of the bones with metal plates or rods. This type of procedure is called a knee arthrodesis, or knee fusion. As reported by the International Center for Limb Lengthening, knee arthrodesis is performed as one of the last options to obtain a stable, pain-free knee in cases when there is irreparable damage to the knee joint after a failed knee reconstruction and knee arthroplasty is no longer a treatment option.
