Practical aspects of foot and ankle arthroscopy

Arthroscopy of the foot and ankle, although sometimes technically challenging, is a useful tool for the foot and ankle surgeon. Burman in 1931 was the first to attempt arthoscopy of the ankle joint and surmised that it was not a suitable joint for arthroscopy because of its narrow intra-articular space. With the development of smaller-diameter arthroscopes and improvements in joint distraction techniques, Watanabe was the first to present a series of 28 ankle arthroscopes in 1972. At present, arthroscopy is used not only to evaluate and treat intra-articular abnormalities but also for endoscopic and tendoscopic procedures.