A minimally invasive surgical procedure that is used to diagnose and treat problems within a joint is ankle arthroscopy. It allows you to insert a small camera (arthroscope) and instruments via small cuts. The surgeon can then see and fix injured tissue, cartilage, or ligaments with minimal disturbance to the outside structure.

The arthroscope has a clear image of the joint, which is transmitted to a monitor so that the surgeon can remove any loose pieces of bone, scar tissue, or inflamed synovial tissue. Thanks to small incisions, patients are in less pain and heal faster than from traditional open surgery, while overall hospital stays tend to be shorter. That may be performed under regional or general anesthesia.

Ankle arthroscopy is frequently done to treat chronic ankle pain, instability, or cartilage injury. It also may be useful in diagnosing joint problems that develop for no known reason when imaging tests do not provide an answer. The whole idea of the operation is that they’re wanting to get the peaks down and bring mobility, reduce pain, and drive down recovery time.