St. Louis Workplace Injuries that Require Arthroscopic Surgery

Arthroscopic surgery has become a treatment of choice for many work-related orthopedic injuries.

Workers are prone to a variety of injuries at the workplace. While many work-related injuries are minor and require minimal treatment, other injuries are serious and require extensive and prolonged treatment. Such injuries can leave a worker unable to attend work for a long time. Injuries that involve damage to the joints, such as the knee and shoulder, may require surgical intervention. Arthroscopic surgery has become a treatment of choice for many work-related orthopedic injuries.

Arthroscopic Surgeries

Arthroscopy surgery is a minimally invasive surgical procedure used for examination and sometimes treatment of damage of the interior of a knee or shoulder joint. The surgery is performed using an arthroscope, a type of endoscope that is inserted into the damaged joint through a small incision. These procedures are usually performed either to examine or to treat various orthopedic conditions such as:

• injuries to the shoulder, wrist, or knee such as tendon tears or cartilage tears
• synovitis, which refers to the inflammation of the lining of the shoulder, knee, elbow, ankle, or wrist
• loss of cartilage caused by osteoarthritis
• spinal deformities
• spinal disc herniations
• spinal trauma
• ACL reconstruction
• trimming damaged cartilage
• torn surface cartilage
• torn or floating cartilage

Types of Arthroscopic Surgery

• knee arthroscopy
• wrist arthroscopy
• shoulder arthroscopy
• spinal arthroscopy

Recovery from Arthroscopic Surgery

Arthroscopic surgeries are performed under general, local, or spinal anesthesia depending on the condition. The patient is instructed about incision care, exercises to be performed for faster recovery, and activities to be avoided to prevent further injuries.

The recovery period after an arthroscopic surgery is much shorter than that of general surgery. An injured worker may be asked to follow up with the surgeon approximately a week after the surgery. The doctor may prescribe a rehabilitation program for a speedy recovery. The patient can usually resume work and normal activities within a few days.

Work Related Injuries