Pictures From Arthroscopic Surgery (2)
These pictures taken from surgery show some normal findings and some damage we commonly see in the knee

Click picture for close up view

ITEM 2-1 Patella-Femoral joint This view is taken from above the knee from a portal on the outside and above the patella.  It shows the knee cap  (patella) above and the end of the femur where the patella articulates on the trochlea.  The white is articular cartilage which covers the ends of the bones in joints.

ITEM 2-2 Chondromalacia Patella Roughness or disease of the articular cartilage which can result in grinding, popping, catching and pain.

ITEM 2-3 Chondroplasty Patella Smoothing of the articular cartilage, a procedure to clean off the roughness.

ITEM 2-4 Plica band This is a picture of a Plica band from the anterior medial side of the knee.  This one has a hole in it and was causing pain in the knee. The plica band can protrude between the patella and the femur and get caught and injured causing pain

ITEM 2-5 Plica band resected The Plica band seen above was removed, and the knee cap has nothing between it and the end of the femur that can cause pain now.

ITEM 2-6 Ruptured Ligamentum Mucosum A soft tissue attachment from the anterior fat pad to the notch of the femur which holds the fat pad from getting caught under the patella or between the bones.  If ruptured, this structure could cause some anterior knee pain.

ITEM 2-7 Model of the knee looking from above the knee To look under the patella, we look from above the patella.  The camera will be placed on one side of the patella and the camera will allow visualization of the front of the knee, anterior fat pad, plica band and excellent views of under the patella and any damage or displacement of the knee cap.

ITEM 2-8 Patella dislocation This view is from above the patella or knee cap, showing the damage on the medial or inside of the patella from the dislocation injury to the knee.

ITEM 2-9 Patella after a lateral release. When the patella sits off-center and can sublux or move to the side, a lateral release will allow the patella to slide more to the middle of the trochlea (groove of the femur).  This view is of the patella after lateral release showing how nicely it sits in the middle.