Wrist arthroscopy is a surgically invasive procedure to diagnose and treat problems of the wrist joint. It uses a small fiber-optic instrument called an arthroscope that enables the surgeon to view inside the joint by making small incisions into the muscle and tissue.
Conditions of the wrist, including chronic wrist pain, wrist fractures, ganglion cysts, and ligament tears are treated with arthroscopy.
Your doctor can see the ligaments and cartilage surfaces of bones with wrist arthroscopy.
Some parts of ligaments have a good blood supply and can be repaired and heal, whereas other parts that do not have a blood supply are removed.
When do you require wrist arthroscopy?
You will need wrist arthroscopy if you are experiencing any of the following problems:
- Wrist pain
- Wrist fractures to realign the bones of the wrist joint
- Ligaments tears
- Triangular fibrocartilage complex (TFCC) tears, common wrist injury of the small finger side of the wrist
- Ganglion removal that limits your ability to move your wrist freely
- Carpal tunnel syndrome when the nerve passing the bones and tissues become irritated and swollen
