Knee

What It Is

Arthroscopy is a common type of keyhole surgery in which a joint is viewed with a small camera. "Arthro-" means joint, and "-scopy" means looking. The knee is the joint that most often has an arthroscopy (NHS, 2026). The procedure gives doctors a clear view of the inside of the knee, which helps them to diagnose and treat knee problems (AAOS, n.d.).

Advances in technology have paved the way to high-resolution cameras and high-definition monitors. These improvements, along with others, have made arthroscopy an exceptional tool for treating problems with the knee.

Arthroscopy is performed using small incisions (cuts). During the procedure, the surgeon inserts the arthroscope into the knee joint, and it sends pictures to a video monitor. On the monitor, the surgeon can see the structures inside the knee in great detail. Through other small incisions, the surgeon can use miniature instruments to shave, cut, grasp or stitch tissue (AAOS, n.d.). Arthroscopy is used to repair or remove damaged tissue.

Knee Arthroscopy Anatomy

The knee is one of the biggest and most complex of all joints found in the body. It joins the shin bone and the thigh bone together. The smaller bone running alongside of the tibia and the kneecap are the two other bones that complete the knee joint. Tendons keep the leg muscles and knee bones connected to enable the knee joint to move. Ligaments join all of the knee bones and deliver stability to the knee.

The anterior cruciate ligament is the one that prevents the femur from sliding backward along the tibia. The medial and lateral collateral ligaments make sure the femur doesn't slide from one side to the other. It is the posterior cruciate ligament that prevents the femur from sliding forward along the tibia.

Within the knee joint are two wedge-shaped cushions of tough, rubbery cartilage called menisci (singular = meniscus). They sit between the thigh bone and the shin bone and act as shock absorbers (AAOS, n.d.). A meniscus can be torn, and removing or repairing a torn meniscus is a common reason for arthroscopic knee surgery (AAOS, n.d.).

Arthroscopy and Osteoarthritis

Arthroscopy is not a treatment for osteoarthritis of the knee. NICE guidance says that arthroscopic washing out of the joint (lavage) or trimming of damaged tissue (debridement) should not be offered to people with osteoarthritis (NICE, 2022).

After Your Operation

Once your surgical team agrees, I can support your recovery within their plan, with hands-on work and exercise to ease swelling and stiffness and rebuild the strength in your leg. See the My Approach tab for how I work.

Follow the instructions your surgical team gives you. You will usually be given a written recovery plan, which includes when you can return to work, exercise and driving (NHS, 2026). Your team will advise you on things such as:

Reducing swelling, for example by keeping your leg raised and using ice (AAOS, n.d.; NHS, 2026)
Looking after your wound and dressings, including keeping them dry, and when they can be removed (NHS, 2026)
Using crutches and when it is safe to put weight on your leg (AAOS, n.d.)
Wearing a knee brace, if one is needed to protect a repair or reconstruction (AAOS, n.d.)
Exercises to do at home, and whether you will be referred to a physiotherapist (NHS, 2026)
When it is safe for you to drive (AAOS, n.d.; NHS, 2026)

Complications are rare but can include infection, blood clots, knee stiffness, bleeding into the knee, and bruising or swelling (AAOS, n.d.; NHS, 2026).

Warning signs: contact the hospital where you had your arthroscopy straight away, or get urgent medical advice, if after your surgery you have a high temperature or feel hot, cold or shivery; severe or increasing joint pain; smelly liquid leaking from the cut; severe or worsening swelling or redness around the joint; or numbness or tingling in or around the joint (NHS, 2026).

Not a diagnosis — for more information, contact me or another trusted healthcare provider.

Treatment

Self-Care & Treatment

Undergoing Arthroscopic Knee Surgery

Knee arthroscopy can be done under a local anaesthetic (which numbs the knee), a spinal or regional anaesthetic (which numbs you below the waist) or a general anaesthetic (which puts you to sleep). Your surgical team will talk to you about which is best for you (AAOS, n.d.; NHS, 2026).

The orthopaedic surgeon makes a few small incisions in the knee. A sterile solution is used to fill the knee joint and rinse away any cloudy fluid, which allows the surgeon to see the knee clearly and in great detail (AAOS, n.d.).

The first task of the surgeon is to diagnose your problem properly. They insert the arthroscope and use the image on the screen as a guide. If treatment is needed, tiny instruments are inserted through another incision. Most knee arthroscopies take less than an hour, depending on what is found and what treatment is needed (AAOS, n.d.).

The incisions may be closed with steri-strips (small sticky strips) or a stitch and covered with a soft bandage. You are then moved to the recovery room, and most people can go home within a few hours (AAOS, n.d.; NHS, 2026). You must not drive yourself home: make sure someone is ready to drive you home and check on you that first evening (AAOS, n.d.; NHS, 2026).

Treatment

My Approach

After a knee arthroscopy, your surgical team's recovery plan sets the rules: how much weight you can put through the leg, whether you need a brace, and when you can drive, work and exercise. I work inside those limits and need your surgeon's okay before we start hands-on treatment. Please bring your recovery plan, as what we do depends on what was done in your knee.

Early Weeks

Easing the hips, back and other leg, and the shoulders and arms if you're on crutches
Gentle lymphatic drainage above the knee for swelling, and keeping the leg raised when you can
Nothing on or near the cuts until they've healed
Thigh tightening, ankle pumps, straight-leg raises and gentle bending within a comfortable range

As It Heals

Scar work once the wound has fully healed
Gentle kneecap mobilisation and hands-on work for the thigh, hamstrings and calf to ease stiffness
Squats, step-ups, the exercise bike and balance work, building gradually
Later, gym-based strength work and a graded return to sport, if your team agrees

If your knee swells up again or gets more painful as you do more, we scale back. For a fever, a red or leaking wound, or worsening swelling, contact the hospital (see Warning signs).

What to Expect

Typical Course

Typical course: Once your surgical team agrees, most people come once or twice a week at first, then weekly, then less often as you manage more on your own. After a simple procedure, such as trimming a torn meniscus, recovery usually takes a few weeks; after a repair it is slower and takes a few months, following your surgical team's plan.

What I Focus On

Working Within Your Team's Limits

Compensation Relief

Swelling & Scar Care

Knee Mobility

Return to Strength

Sources

References

American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons (AAOS) (n.d.) Knee arthroscopy. OrthoInfo. Available at: https://www.orthoinfo.org/en/treatment/knee-arthroscopy/ (Accessed: 7 October 2026).
NHS (2026) Arthroscopy. Available at: https://www.nhs.uk/tests-and-treatments/arthroscopy/ (Accessed: 7 October 2026).
National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) (2022) Osteoarthritis in over 16s: diagnosis and management (NICE guideline NG226). Available at: https://www.nice.org.uk/guidance/ng226/chapter/Recommendations (Accessed: 8 October 2026).

Massage therapy · Kitchener–WaterlooKnee Arthroscopy

What It Is

Knee Arthroscopy Anatomy

Arthroscopy and Osteoarthritis

After Your Operation

Self-Care & Treatment

Undergoing Arthroscopic Knee Surgery

My Approach

Early Weeks

As It Heals

Typical Course

References

Related Conditions

Book a session

Massage therapy · Kitchener–WaterlooKnee Arthroscopy

What It Is

Knee Arthroscopy Anatomy

Arthroscopy and Osteoarthritis

After Your Operation

Self-Care & Treatment

Undergoing Arthroscopic Knee Surgery

My Approach

Early Weeks

As It Heals

Typical Course

References

Related Conditions

Anterior Cruciate Ligament Rupture and Reconstruction

Knee Replacement

Meniscus Tear

Baker's Cyst

Book a session