Wrist Arthroscopy: An Overview

One of my jobs as an orthopedic surgeon is to scour the world’s medical literature looking for good resources for my patients. Because I field so many questions about the details of shoulder surgery, elbow surgery, and knee surgery, I am constantly on the lookout for lay articles about these common procedures.

This site fits the bill. Dedicated exclusively to the mechanics of arthroscopic wrist surgery, the page offers a detailed look at the various instruments and procedures we use for the procedure. It starts with this overview of the scope itself:

The surgeon makes small incisions (called portals) through the skin in specific locations around a joint. . . .These incisions are less than half an inch long. The arthroscope, which is approximately the size of a pencil, is inserted through these incisions. The arthroscope contains a small lens, a miniature camera, and a lighting system.

The piece goes on to describe the difference between diagnostic surgery and corrective surgery, and discusses the various ailments that can benefit from the process including ligament tears, cysts, and carpal tunnel.

These are the tools I use every day as an orthopedic surgeon in San Diego. If you read the page and still have questions, please contact the wrist surgery experts at AOSM today.

The Experience of Knee Surgery

Sports medicine is a discipline where numbers count: how long does a shoulder procedure take? How many years does a patient have left on that ailing knee? But numbers alone cannot account for the whole experience of surgery, which is why I field a lot of questions about what orthopedic surgery feels like – before, during, and after the procedure.

This article offers a quick look at some of the experiences you can expect following orthopedic knee surgery. It includes common issues such as swelling and pain, and throws in some numbers about how long you should expect to be laid up. But the real meat of the piece is its emphasis on recovery as an active process:

We will initially focus on regaining your range of motion (ROM) and then strengthening you through your available ROM. Especially after a total knee replacement, you will want to gain full extension. Do not stay in bed all day, and more importantly do not lay with a pillow under your knees!

Many people want to rest after surgery, and there’s no question that sleep is an essential component of recovery. But to truly regain function and reclaim an active life, you will also need to get up frequently and work at your healing process.

To learn more about orthopedic knee surgery in San Diego, please contact our orthopedic surgeons today.

San Diego Shoulder Pain 101

Shoulder pain can take many forms, from radiating waves to uncomfortable tingles to utter agony. It is perhaps unsurprising, then, that the causes of shoulder pain can vary widely too, and may include such varied sources as rotator cuff injuries, glenohumeral disorders, and referred neck pain.

I have provided a brief overview of elbow pain on this website, but as an orthopedic specialist here in San Diego, I’m always looking for new ways to explain the details of shoulder pain to my patients nationwide.

This page includes a great diagram and plenty of granular descriptions of shoulder pain, including the various anatomical and orthopedic issues that can give rise to discomfort. This passage may prove especially useful – a checklist for diagnosis:

  • Is the pain arising from the shoulder, neck or elsewhere?
  • Are there any ‘red flag’ symptoms/signs? (See box ‘Red flag symptoms/signs’, below.)
  • Is the pain localised to the acromioclavicular joint: the ‘pointing sign’?
  • If yes, there is acromioclavicular joint disease.
  • Is there global pain and restriction of all active and passive movements? If yes, this suggests glenohumeral joint disorder (either ‘frozen shoulder’ or arthritis).
  • Does the patient show a broad area of pain: the ‘grasping sign’ suggestive of subacromial pain?

To receive a full examination, workup and treatment plan, contact the orthopedic surgeons at AOSM.net today.