Shoulder Arthroscopy

A minimally invasive diagnostic and surgical procedure, shoulder arthroscopy is performed using a pencil-sized instrument called an arthroscope to treat disease conditions and injuries involving the bones, cartilage, tendons, ligaments, and muscles of the shoulder joint. The advantages of arthroscopy compared to open surgery with a large incision include minimal complications, less downtime, negligible blood loss, small incisions, shorter hospital stays, and faster recovery time.

Determined with your surgeon, shoulder arthroscopy is indicated to treat the following shoulder conditions when conservative treatment such as medication and therapy fails to relieve pain and disability:

 

• Shoulder impingement: when the shoulder blade applies pressure on the underlying soft tissues when the arm is lifted

• Rotator cuff tear

• Frozen shoulder or stiffness of the shoulder joint

• Shoulder instability as a result of the head of the upper arm bone slipping out of the socket of the shoulder blade’s glenoid cavity either due to injury or overuse

• Biceps rupture: when the tendons attaching the bicep muscle to the shoulder or elbow tears

• Damaged cartilage or ligaments

• Bone spurs or bony projections

• Arthritis of the collarbone