 Diagnosis (Shoulder) |
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Doctors |
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Rehabilitation |
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Service |
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 Arthroscopy |
The joint can be viewed in its entirety using a thin, illuminated optical instrument (arthroscope). A microscopic video camera is connected to the arthroscope and transmits the image to a high resolution monitor.
The joint is filled and rinsed with a sterile liquid in order to be able to view its structure better. The arthroscope is then inserted into the joint through a tiny opening that is situated at the rear of the shoulder. A scanning probe is then inserted through another small opening at the front of the joint, which can be used to inspect its individual structures. In this way the surgeon has precise knowledge of the condition and quality of the tissue structures.
The assessment and evaluation of the alterations discovered require a high level of experience, so that the findings are neither overestimated nor underestimated. Competent shoulder centres do not use modern arthroscopy as a mere diagnostic method – the essential diagnosis must be known before an operation. Rather, arthroscopy nowadays is used predominantly for therapeutic purposes, i.e. we can continue straight away with the arthroscopic surgery in the same sitting once additional pathological findings are determined or the injuries or changes already known are localised. |
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Painful shoulders, limited shoulder mobility, calcium deposits, narrowing, tears in the rotator cuff or even shoulder instability can be treated in an ideal manner using this surgical technique. Arthroscopic treatment is also particularly suitable for treating arthroses in the shoulder joint that is at an early stage whilst not limiting mobility to an extreme extent (bioprosthesis). The pain
following arthroscopic surgery is negligible to hardly noticeable. The joint can be moved and used very soon afterwards.
Scars are hardly visible. Most operations can be undergone as a short-term in-patient. Minimal invasive processes, e.g. arthroscopy, are however not necessarily atraumatic. The aim of leaving negligibly small internal scars requires a high level of competence and know-how, as well as the most modern instruments and equipment. Otherwise a supposedly minimally invasive procedure may well leave behind irreparable damage. This must be avoided at all costs in the interest of the well-being of the patient – whether he/she is a young Olympic athlete with maximum load demands or an older patient hoping for pain-free shoulder mobility. These demands need not remain an unrealistic wish. They can be realised through state-of-the-art teamwork between the shoulder specialist, the patient, the physiotherapist and (if necessary) the trainer. |
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