Arthroscopy, also known as joint endoscopy, involves examining a joint from the inside. It is a diagnostic and therapeutic treatment method used in orthopedics that does not require large incisions in the skin (i.e., it is minimally invasive).
The basic requirements for performing arthroscopy correctly are both the technical equipment and specially trained surgical staff.
The technical equipment includes the arthroscope with camera head and optics, a light source to illuminate the inside of the joint, a pump device to fill the joint with fluid, and a monitor for displaying the images.
General anesthesia and a sterile operating room are required for the procedure. To gain access to the joint, the surgeon makes only two very small incisions in the joint, through which the arthroscope and the special instruments are inserted. The camera at the head of the arthroscope transmits a greatly magnified image of the inside of the joint to the monitor. This makes even small structures clearly visible.
In veterinary medicine, arthroscopy is primarily used in horses and dogs for the diagnosis and treatment of diseases of the larger joints of the limbs. However, thanks to modern technology, arthroscopy can now also be performed on much smaller joints.
Arthroscopy can be used for diagnostic purposes to assess the type or extent of a disease in the joint more accurately.
For therapeutic purposes , arthroscopy is most commonly used to remove cartilage or bone fragments (= joint chips). A typical example is OCD (= osteochondrosis dissecans), which is part of elbow joint dysplasia (see corresponding article). During arthroscopy, any damaged cartilage can be smoothed. Infected joints can be cleaned and rinsed arthroscopically.
This widespread viral infection is named after the Hungarian veterinary pathologist Aladar Aujeszky, who first described the disease in 1902. It is caused by the porcine herpesvirus and can affect dogs and cats, as well as cattle, sheep, and goats, and is almost always fatal. The disease, also known as pseudorabies, cannot be transmitted to humans. According to current legislation, pseudorabies is a notifiable animal disease and is controlled by the state.
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