Incidentally, since the arthroscopic shavers we use to debride and
suction out damaged tissue are specifically designed to fit a particular
manufacturer's handpiece, and since those units are compatible only
with each manufacturer's towers, a physician's choice of arthroscopic
tools may be in large part driven by his choice of imaging compo-
nents. For many users, there isn't as much of a distinctive difference
between makes of shavers as there is between cameras and video, so
the technology is a package purchase.
3. Simplified suture tying
Implantable anchors and high-strength suture are reliable fasteners
for securing tissue to bone in the course of a joint repair. The ability
of a surgeon to tie a reliable knot in the suture by way of
arthroscopy's minimally invasive incisions, however, can prove chal-
lenging. Over the past decade, the development of mechanical suture
passers and knotless fixation systems have lent confidence to sports
medicine practitioners, especially those working in the shoulder.
Passing the suture has historically required manually penetrating the
tissue, then (from an access port) manually grasping the suture to pull
it through, a 2-step process. The antegrade suture passer reduces that
to one step. Working through a single port, you pull the trigger to push
the suture through, then you manually grasp it. Another advance fur-
ther simplifies that one step, passing the suture through the tendon,
then mechanically grasping it with its other jaw.
Up until the past few years, the physicians who have trained us in
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It only takes a couple of seconds to remove the
probe and wipe off a fogged-up lens, but a scope
whose lens remains clear is a huge advantage.
