Arthroscopy helps in diagnosis of sports injuries: Expert

Vijayawada: The advent of arthroscopy in the modern medical technology opened new vistas for the identification and treatment of sports injuries to bring back the sports persons normalcy, said noted orthopaedic surgeon Dr Bezavada Paparao while addressing the health education programme at Vasavya Nursing Home with Dr G Samaram in the chair on Saturday.

"It is high time people should have understanding of the easiest method medical treatment with arthroscopy for the sports injuries," he said. The injuries caused to the sports persons affect muscles, tendons and ligaments.

Generally, sports persons receive injuries of wrist, shoulder, elbow and knee joints, the specialist said. Apart from sports events, such injuries may occur in road accidents or falling from heights.

The sports injuries generally occur in sports like kabaddi, cricket, volleyball, shuttle badminton, swimming and others. Most of the sports injuries occur to the joints.

Many people without identifying the injury to the joints just consume pain killers to ease the pain. Some others even go to quacks for treatment.

In case of sports injuries, apart from pain and swelling, limbs may be deformed, he said.

If the injuries are identified immediately and treated, the joints may become weak, and the pain would become chronic, he warned.

The injuries to ligaments, muscles and joints could be diagnosed through clinical examination, x-ray or MRI, he said.

Keyhole surgery with the help of arthroscopy could be undertaken in case of injuries to joints to rectify the problem, he said.

The specialist said that the sports injuries should be diagnosed in two to six weeks and treated with arthroscopy to get good results, he said and added that physiotherapy is needed after arthroscopy surgery.

Physiotherapist Dr Olos and clinical psychologist Vinod Kumar were also present. Dr Maru proposed a vote of thanks.