5-813.e:

The capsular ligaments in your knee joint have been reconstructed.

The knee joint connects the thigh to the lower leg. The knee joint is made up of 3 bones. These bones are the thighbone (femur), the shinbone (tibia) and the kneecap. The kneecap sits in a groove at the front of the thighbone. Certain ligaments stabilize the knee joint. The collateral ligaments sit to the right and left of the knee. There is a medial and a lateral collateral ligament. The collateral ligaments stop the knee from shifting sideways or over-stretching. Joints are encased in a joint capsule. The ligaments in the knee and the joint capsule grow together to form a single unit. Together they are known as the capsular ligaments.

You have had your capsular ligaments reconstructed at the side of your knee that faces away from your other leg. This area of the capsular ligaments includes the lateral collateral ligament. Reconstructing the capsular ligaments involves replacing the torn parts. These sections can be replaced by a tendon from one’s own body, by a tendon from another person, or by synthetic material.

You had an arthroscopy to reconstruct your capsular ligaments. An arthroscopy first involves making a small incision in the skin. A camera was pushed through this incision. This camera sends images of the inside of the joint to a screen. Instruments such as forceps and scissors can be inserted into the joint through other small incisions.