Knee pain happens to most of us - often from meniscal tears, a lingering injury or other joint complication. If you are experiencing knee pain, the Penn State Health orthopaedic team is here to help. Our nationally ranked orthopaedic experts will find the source of your knee pain and create a comprehensive treatment plan to help you get back to your active lifestyle.
Many knee pain patients who no longer respond to non-operative treatment options will undergo a knee arthroscopy. Minimally invasive procedures are performed through smaller incisions, for quicker recovery time and less pain.
Symptoms, Diagnosis and Outlook
Knee arthroscopy might be recommended for patients experiencing the following knee problems:
Joint “lock”
Limited mobility
Pain
Soreness
Swelling
Unable to perform daily activities
Weakness
Arthroscopy is a surgical option that is also a useful diagnostic tool. This minimally invasive procedure uses small incisions and an arthroscope - a tiny fiberoptic lens with a camera attached - to help your surgeon visualize inside your knee.
In many cases, your surgeon can make repairs using specialized tools while visualizing the inside of the knee with the arthroscope, removing damaged scar tissue, fixing cartilage and tendon tears or locating and removing any floating bone fragments. This outpatient procedure usually lasts between one to two hours and has a much shorter recovery than “open” knee surgery.
Knee arthroscopy patients typically make a full recovery within a few weeks to months, depending on your procedure’s complexity. Most patients require crutches and physical therapy to help regain full mobility and strength.
The arthroscope is also often used to aid in visualization during more complex procedures, such as ACL, or other ligament reconstructions.
Meet our doctors, view their profiles and select the one that’s right for you.
Why Choose Penn State Health for Care
Top-Ranked by U.S. News & World Report
Penn State Health includes the Milton S. Hershey Medical Center, ranked as one of the best orthopedic providers in the country by U.S. News & World Report. This honor was earned because our doctors consistently deliver exceptional patient care and outcomes through their commitment to advanced treatments, translational research and provider training.
Coordinated, Specialized Care Through a Dedicated Institute
Our orthopaedic specialists work together through our dedicated Penn State Bone and Joint Institute. There, they focus on providing you with multidisciplinary, tailored care and state-of-the-art treatments and technologies. This produces the highest-quality patient outcomes. All physicians at the institute are fellowship-trained and subspecialize in additional niche areas of orthopaedics, including arthritis care and joint arthroplasty (joint replacement surgery).
Designated as a Blue Distinction® Center
Penn State Bone and Joint Institute is a Blue Distinction Center for Knee and Hip Replacement. This superior designation from BlueCross BlueShield is only given to health care facilities and providers that stand out for their expertise in delivering specialty knee and hip replacement care. Our surgeons specialize in a range of pain-relieving procedures, including partial knee replacement, total joint arthroplasty, joint preservation surgery and complex revision surgery. They perform more than 1,000 joint replacement procedures every year.
Confidence in Treatment Through Education
We developed a special joint replacement education website just for patients undergoing joint arthroplasty. The website takes you step by step through the joint replacement process. From things to consider before choosing surgery to recovery after surgery, you’ll find the information you need to help you feel confident in your decision to undergo joint replacement.
Advancing Orthopaedic Medicine Through Research
The doctors and researchers in our Center for Orthopaedic Research and Translational Science at the Milton S. Hershey Medical Center are committed to advancing our field through scientific discovery and education. As the only academic medical center in central Pennsylvania, Hershey Medical Center is a national leader in research, in partnership with Penn State College of Medicine, and on the leading edge of new treatment options, including clinical trials.
Convenient Locations
Find the care your family needs, close to home, at one of our many locations throughout central Pennsylvania.
We have an active clinical science research program and frequently seek volunteers to participate in clinical trials. These studies help our scientists improve diagnostic techniques, develop better treatments, and collaborate with other researchers.
