Why it’s done

Why an arthroscopy is done

An arthroscopy can be done for a number of reasons.

To find the cause of joint problems

An arthroscopy is often done to check what’s causing symptoms such as:

• joint pain
• swelling and stiffness
• joints locking, moving out of position or giving way

You will usually only have this procedure if other types of tests, such as X-rays, have not found anything.

To check the health of your joints

Sometimes a doctor will do an arthroscopy to see how well a joint is working.

This can help if you have:

• damaged your joint, for example a sports injury
• a condition that can damage joints over time, such as osteoarthritis

To repair damage to your joints

Your doctor may be able to repair some joint damage during the arthroscopy.

This can include:

• removing damaged sections of the tough tissue covering the surface of your joint (cartilage)
• repairing tears to the strips of tissue connecting the bones of your joint (ligaments)
• using a sterile liquid to wash out damaged bits of tissue stopping the joint from working properly