medical miracle. And high-definition imaging has given us unparal-
leled views of the musculoskeletal anatomy we're diagnosing and
treating. But some of the field's most useful improvements in recent
years are to be found in far less flashy devices and features. Here's a
user's-eye-view of 3 underappreciated advances that have made a big
difference to arthroscopic surgery.
1. Finer fluid management
Arthroscopic efficiency is a fluid issue, and I mean that literally. From
visualizing the surgical site to trimming torn tissue, fluid management
plays an extremely important — and often underappreciated — role
in arthroscopy. It's even possible that its components have seen more
significant technical advances in recent years than our miniaturized
cameras and high-definition monitors have.
The joint is a collapsed space. To perform arthroscopic examina-
tion or treatment on it, one of our first tasks is insufflation.
Expanding the space provides us with the necessary exposure to
achieve a clear
view of the joint
and insert and
operate our
instruments.
While CO
2
gas
or air are effec-
tive for insufflat-
ing the abdomi-
nal cavity, a
steady flow of
saline solution is
preferred for
1 0 9
J U LY 2 0 1 5 | O U T P A T I E N TS U R G E R Y. N E T
z INFLOW AND OUTFLOW The ideal arthroscopy pump should
be able to maintain a designated fluid pressure in the joint, and
keep up with the addition of instruments or outflow of fluid.
Kent
Steinriede
