Arthroscopy is a minimally invasive procedure that lets our surgeons diagnose and treat joint problems through a few small incisions and a pencil-thin camera. Less tissue trauma, smaller scars, and a faster path back to the activities you care about.
Board-certified surgeons and podiatrists across eight Los Angeles area neighborhoods.
Key takeaways
Arthroscopy is a minimally invasive surgical technique where a pencil-thin fiber-optic camera (the arthroscope) is inserted through a small incision to look inside a joint. Through one or two additional tiny incisions, your surgeon can repair what they see, without the large open incision that traditional joint surgery requires.
At LAOSS, we use arthroscopy for the knee, shoulder, hip, ankle, elbow, and wrist. The most common procedures we perform arthroscopically are meniscus repair, ACL reconstruction, rotator cuff repair, labral repair (shoulder and hip), cartilage debridement, loose-body removal, and synovectomy.
Because the approach is minimally invasive, most patients go home the same day, return to desk work within days, and reach full recovery faster than with open surgery. The structures we're treating still need time to heal, but the path to get there is shorter, less painful, and leaves smaller scars.
If you have a joint problem, your surgeon may want to try arthroscopy. This lets your surgeon see inside your joint with a small, thin camera called an "arthroscope." It can be used on any joint, but let's see it in the knee.
An arthroscope is roughly the diameter of a pencil. It carries a light source and a high-definition camera that projects a magnified view of the joint onto a monitor in the OR. Through one or two additional 5 to 10 mm portals, your surgeon passes specialized micro-instruments (shavers, suture passers, anchors, graspers) to repair the meniscus, cartilage, ligament, or labrum the camera reveals.
Arthroscopy is a tool, not a default. At LAOSS, we recommend it only when the diagnosis is clear, conservative care has had a fair trial, and the structure we'd repair is actually fixable with a scope.
Your evaluation starts with history and exam: when the pain started, what made it worse, what's already been tried. From there we add on-site X-ray at most offices and order MRI when soft-tissue detail matters (meniscus, ligaments, rotator cuff, labrum, cartilage). Most patients leave their first visit with a diagnosis, a written plan, and a clear answer on whether surgery is on the table.
If arthroscopy is the right next step, we walk you through exactly which structures we'll address, what the recovery looks like for your specific joint, and what we'll do if we find something different once we're inside.
Most joint problems that ultimately need arthroscopy first get a real trial of non-surgical care. Surgery is the answer when the diagnosis is structural, the symptoms are mechanical, and conservative treatment has stopped making progress.
Non-surgical options designed to relieve pain, restore movement, and avoid the OR when possible.
Minimally invasive joint surgery performed by board-certified orthopedic surgeons when conservative care has run its course.
Arthroscopy is highly technique-dependent. Volume, training, and judgment together determine the outcome you actually feel six months later.
Our arthroscopy specialists move stepwise: start with the least-invasive option that fits your situation, escalate only when it doesn't.
If most of these match your situation, an evaluation with an arthroscopy specialist is the next step.
These signs typically point toward an in-person evaluation for arthroscopic surgery.
Your first visit is built to give you an answer the same day, not just another referral.
ImportantSeek urgent evaluation for sudden severe pain, a joint that's locked or won't bear weight, numbness or progressive weakness, or any sign of infection (fever, increasing redness or swelling).
Recovery is rarely a straight line, but a clear plan with measurable milestones makes the path predictable. Exact timelines depend on the joint and the repair.
Most patients go home the same day. The first two weeks focus on protecting the repair, controlling swelling, and starting gentle motion.
Targeted physical therapy rebuilds strength, mobility, and confidence in the joint. Your PT plan is written by your surgeon and coordinated with your in-network provider.
Timeline depends on the procedure: a simple meniscectomy can be weeks; a rotator cuff repair is typically 4 to 6 months, and an ACL reconstruction commonly 9 to 12 months, to full return.
We talk through the risks and benefits with every patient. Informed consent is a conversation, not a form.
Every orthopedic intervention carries a small set of standard risks. We screen, prepare, and monitor for these on every patient.
Some risks are tied to the joint and the structures we're repairing. We discuss these in detail at your visit so you can weigh them against the benefits.
At LAOSS, your arthroscopic care is led by board-certified orthopedic surgeons with fellowship training in sports medicine, joint preservation, and minimally invasive techniques. From your first evaluation through rehab, our specialists guide the whole arc: diagnosis, decision-making, the procedure itself, and the PT plan that gets you back to the activities you care about.
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Total Joint & Sports Medicine
Book a visit with an arthroscopy specialist at any of our eight Los Angeles-area offices.
