Knee Arthroscopy: What to Expect During Recovery

Knee arthroscopy is one of the most commonly performed orthopaedic surgical procedures. It is a minimally invasive technique that allows the surgeon to visualise and treat injuries inside the knee joint through small incisions.

What is Knee Arthroscopy?

A surgical procedure in which the internal structure of the joint is examined for diagnosis and/or treatment using a mini camera that allows joint observation and treatment of present injuries.

Surgeons like Dr. Henrique Jones perform this procedure on an outpatient basis (or with one day of hospitalisation), meaning patients can generally return home after the procedure.

The Arthroscopic Technique

The arthroscopic technique involves inserting the arthroscope — a small tube containing optical fibres and lenses — through a small skin incision so that joints can be examined. The arthroscope is connected to a video camera and the interior of the joint can be seen on the television screen.

The size of the arthroscope varies depending on the size of the joint being examined. For example, the knee is examined with an arthroscope approximately 5 millimetres in diameter. There are arthroscopes as small as 0.5 millimetres in diameter for examining smaller joints such as the wrist.

Advantages over open surgery

Arthroscopic surgery causes less impact on tissues compared to traditional surgery, resulting in lower pain levels and faster recovery. Key advantages include:

• Smaller incisions (less scarring)
• Less post-operative pain
• Lower risk of infection
• Faster functional recovery
• Outpatient procedure possible

Recovery phases

First 48 hours

After surgery, it is essential to apply ice to the joint (20 minutes every 2 hours), keep the limb elevated and begin gentle mobilisation exercises as indicated by the doctor. Pain is usually manageable with medication.

First week

Most patients can walk with crutches. Stitches are typically removed between 7 and 10 days. Excessive exertion should be avoided and wound care maintained.

2 to 6 weeks

The physiotherapy programme gains importance at this stage. Exercises focus on recovering range of motion, progressive muscle strengthening and proprioception recovery. For simple procedures such as meniscectomy, many patients resume normal activities during this period.

Return to sport

The time to return to sport depends on the type of intervention. For a partial meniscectomy, it may be possible within 4 to 6 weeks. For ligament reconstruction, the period typically extends to 6-9 months, always with rigorous functional assessment.

Recovery success depends as much on surgical technique as on the patient's adherence to the rehabilitation programme.

When to contact your doctor

You should contact your doctor if after surgery you experience fever above 38°C, severe pain not relieved by prescribed medication, excessive swelling, redness or discharge from the wound, or persistent numbness in the limb.