Instrumentation in shoulder arthroscopy

Abstract

Arthroscopy is a reliable and effective minimally invasive technique that has gained popularity in the past 20 years among shoulder surgeons. Arthroscopic surgery requires specific and complex instruments whose evolution has followed that of the surgical procedures. These instruments are expensive, and therefore, proper utilization and maintenance are essential. Furthermore, different surgical procedures, such as rotator cuff repair and capsulorrhaphy, call for different instruments which are specific to the operation being performed. Many surgical instrument companies currently produce tools which are very similar to one another with only minor technical differences; the selection of the most appropriate instrumentation depends on the individual discretion of the surgeon. In fact, each arthroscopic surgeon generally has his own set of instruments.