Laser arthroscopy

Lasers have become widely used in several medical and surgical disciplines. In ophthalmology and plastic surgery, their use has permitted the development of therapeutic modalities that would have been otherwise impossible. In such specialties as gynecology and general surgery, lasers provide advantages that make certain procedures more convenient and easier to perform. In contrast, orthopaedic surgeons have, to date, been slow to accept these devices into the therapeutic armamentarium. The purpose of this paper is to describe the status of laser use in the orthopaedic subspecialty of arthroscopy.