The Benefits of Nano Arthroscopy

Chad D. Lavender, MD, explains how patients can benefit from Nano arthroscopy.

Chad D. Lavender, MD (Scott Depot, WV), is an orthopedic surgeon and team physician for the University of Charleston, Virginia Tech, and Marshall University. Here, he shares his experience with Nano arthroscopy, its benefits, and how it can improve patient outcomes.

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Nano arthroscopy has dramatically changed my practice and helped me provide better care for my patients. I think this is one of the biggest improvements in arthroscopy in the last decade. We will be able to improve patient outcomes across a variety of joints and procedures thanks to Nano arthroscopy.

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What conditions and procedures can Nano arthroscopy be used for?

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I have performed Nano arthroscopy in both the knee and shoulder procedures, and I’ve used it as a primary visual device instead of a standard scope. Some of the procedures I have used Nano arthroscopy for include:

Rotator cuff repair (RCR), a procedure performed to fix a tear in the muscles and tendons in the shoulder
Anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) repair, the least invasive surgical approach to fix certain kinds of ACL tears; preserves the ACL by reattaching it to the femur (thigh) bone
Posterior cruciate ligament (PCL) reconstruction, a procedure to rebuild the torn ligament using a graft, or tissue from another part of your body or a donor
Partial meniscectomy, a surgical treatment for tears of the meniscus, which is shock-absorbing cartilage in the knee joint
Labrum repair, a surgical procedure to fix a tear in the rim of cartilage lining the shoulder socket

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What are the benefits of Nano arthroscopy?

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In our retrospective (comparing two groups of people) and prospective (observing outcomes) trials focusing on Nano arthroscopy of the knee, we found a trend toward improved Knee Injury and Osteoarthritis Outcome Score (KOOS) and International Knee Documentation Committee (IKDC), which are assessments to evaluate patient outcomes, IKDC scores at 2 years after surgery.¹ These scores were maintained 6 weeks after surgery.¹

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What are the most important benefits for patients?

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Important benefits include a very small incision size due to the tiny instruments used and speed of recovery. Patients feel that they get back to work and sport quickly.^2-5

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Have your patients experienced less pain after a Nano arthroscopy procedure compared to patients who underwent traditional arthroscopic procedures?

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Our trials revealed Nano arthroscopy patients took fewer pain pills in the first 24 hours after surgery than patients who experienced traditional arthroscopic procedures.¹ Additionally, Nano arthroscopy patients report slight decreases in visual analog scale (VAS) scores, which measure the intensity of pain compared to traditional arthroscopy procedures.¹

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What are the advantages of experiencing less pain after Nano arthroscopy?

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Patients who need fewer pills right after surgery have less risk of requiring long-term narcotics than patients who underwent standard arthroscopic procedures.¹ We know that pain is one of the most important outcome measures for patients, and because Nano arthroscopy patients experience less pain,¹ these procedures will become more and more popular in the future.

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Will patients have a large incision site to care for following the procedure?

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Our patients have only one suture per portal, meaning aftercare is more manageable because they can take a shower the second day after the procedure and experience fewer surgical complications.⁶ Because the single incision is small, patients can use adhesive bandages for wound coverage.

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Do Nano arthroscopy patients recover more quickly than patients who undergo traditional arthroscopy procedures?

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Nano arthroscopy patients recover at a faster pace than their standard arthroscopy counterparts.^2-5 This occurs for several reasons, including a smaller entry point for tiny instruments, less fluid used during the procedure, and less trauma to the joint.

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Explore the Nano Experience

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Surgeon is a paid consultant for Arthrex Inc.

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References

Schaver AL, Lash JG, MacAskill ML, et al. Partial meniscectomy using needle arthroscopy associated with significantly less pain and improved patient reported outcomes at two weeks after surgery: a comparison to standard knee arthroscopy. J Orthop. 2023;41:63-66.doi:10.1016/j.jor.2023.06.003
Owusu-Sarpong S, Fariyike B, Colasanti CA, et al. In-office nano-arthroscopy of the shoulder with acromioplasty. Arthrosc Tech. 2023;12(8):e1423-e1428. doi:10.1016/j.eats.2023.04.012
Colasanti CA, Mercer NP, Garcia JV, Kerkhoffs GMMJ, Kennedy JG. In-office needle arthroscopy for the treatment of anterior ankle impingement yields high patient satisfaction with high rates of return to work and sport. Arthroscopy. 2022;38(4):1302-1311.doi:10.1016/j.arthro.2021.09.016
Bi AS, Colasanti CA, Kirschner N, et al. In-office needle arthroscopy with cartilage allograft extracellular matrix application for cartilage lesions of the knee. Arthrosc Tech. 2023;12(9):e1507-e1513. doi:10.1016/j.eats.2023.04.023
Agee JM, McCarroll HR Jr, Tortosa RD, Berry DA, Szabo RM, Peimer CA. Endoscopic release of the carpal tunnel: a randomized prospective multicenter study. J Hand Surg Am. 1992;17(6):987-995. doi:10.1016/s0363-5023(09)91044-9
McMillan S Chhabra A, Hassebrock JD, Ford E, Amin NH. Risks and complication sassociated with intra-articular arthroscopy of the knee and shoulder in an office setting. Orthop J Sports Med. 2019;7(9):2325967119869846. doi:10.1177/2325967119869846