Arthroscopy is a minimally invasive surgical procedure that surgeons use to view, diagnose, and ultimately treat lesions inside a joint.
It is believed to have greatly contributed to the development of orthopaedic surgery, since large incisions are no longer required, as it occurs in an open surgery: The doctor can see inside the joint and operate with great precision, using a small camera (arthroscope), which is inserted through an incision. The specially designed and small-sized instruments enter the joint through one or more incisions which do not exceed 7 millimeters.
Nowadays, anatomical lesions in all the large joints of the body, such as the knee, hip, shoulder, elbow, radiocarpal, and talocrural (ankle) joints, are treated arthroscopically.