The full report suite on the U.S. market for arthroscopic devices includes arthroscopes, disposable cannulas, hand instruments, fluid management disposables, shaver blades, radiofrequency (RF) probes, drill guide systems and disposables and suture passers. Power instruments are covered in an appendix.

There are three main types of capital equipment associated with the power shaver market: (1) shaver consoles, (2) hand instruments and (3) footswitches. Hand instruments typically have a lifespan of two to three years. This comes in contrast to shaver consoles and footswitches, which have an average lifespan of about five years. On average, each shaver console uses two to three hand instruments. In comparison, one footswitch is generally used per shaver console. Shaver consoles, hand instruments and footswitches are typically provided at no cost in exchange for long-term disposable blade contracts.

Suture passers are arthroscopic devices that are used to pass sutures through a variety of tissues, such as rotator cuff and labrum. Currently, there are three main types of suture passers available for surgeons: reusable-disposable needle-based suture passers, reusable-penetrating suture passers and disposable-retrieving suture passers.

During an arthroscopic procedure, the damaged joint must be distended to allow for close inspection, increased surgical space and decreased bleeding during the operation. To achieve distension, fluid under continuous pressure is introduced into the joint through a cannula system. Joint distention is maintained by a fluid management system that can either be gravity or pump controlled.
Gravity is the simplest form of fluid management and consists of a liquid that is administered through a bag reservoir that is raised above the patient.

Disposable cannulas are used in many arthroscopic procedures to aid in keeping the site of incision open and accessible. Once a cannula is inserted into the site of incision, other arthroscopic instruments are then passed through the cannula, allowing for enhanced access to the joint being operated on. Their role as an access instrument is mainly in difficult-to-access joints such as shoulder and hip and are not typically used for knee procedures. When disposable cannulas are used in easier-to-access joints like the knee, their function is more for fluid management and distention. The cannulas used in hip arthroscopies tend to be longer to allow for easier access into the hip joint. Several companies offer hip cannulas as part of an access instrumentation kit, which is either sold separately or with a hip arthroscope.

Drill guides are used during the reconstruction of the ACL and PCL. As the name implies, these devices are used for properly aligning the drill bit for the precise creation of tunnels and holes in boney surfaces. The knee is one of the most susceptible joints to pressure and injury in the human body, as its bending capacity is determined by a complex interaction of rotational and extensional movements. The anterior and posterior cruciate ligaments (ACL/PCL) connect the bones that form the knee and stabilize joint movements to prevent the femur from sliding against the tibia and vice versa.
Injuries to the ACL are quite common. These injuries can be caused by excessive use, physical impact or wear over time. Usually, during ACL/PCL reconstruction, the surgeon drills holes in the tibia in order to hold harvested patellar tendon with fixation devices such as staples and screws, thus reconstructing the ligament.

Arthroscopes are visualization instruments that allow for minimally invasive joint surgeries by enabling the surgeon to see into the joint. In this chapter, the video cameras in the arthroscopes are not included or discussed. The types of procedures that are typically performed with arthroscopes include joint debridement, microfracture repair, ligament reconstruction and diagnostic imaging. The first generation of arthroscopes utilized a variant of miniature-camera technology that was adapted for medical applications. The later adoption of fiber-optic technology in medicine allowed for arthroscopes to become smaller and more efficient.

Hand instruments are mostly non-disposable, unpowered, metallic instruments that are used as hand tools for surgery. These include, but are not limited to, graspers, knives, probes, punches, scissors, scissor punches, dissectors and shears.
Each of these tools comes in a variety of configurations and geometries to suit surgeon preference and surgical need. Because hand instruments are essentially a commodity market, the key differentiating factors are ergonomics and surgeon preference. Hand instruments are often sold as part of a complete package of devices for the treatment of a specific indication, such as anterior cruciate ligament reconstruction or rotator cuff repair. More recently, they are becoming available for hip arthroscopy and small joint repair.

The full report suite on the U.S. market for arthroscopic devices includes arthroscopes, disposable cannulas, hand instruments, fluid management disposables, shaver blades, radiofrequency (RF) probes, drill guide systems and disposables and suture passers. Power instruments are covered in an appendix.

Radiofrequency (RF) probes use a form of electrothermal energy to cut, ablate and shrink damaged tissue. By these means, disruption and blood loss of the surrounding tissue is reduced compared to physical cutting. Because RF technology operates at a lower temperature than other comparable methods, the surrounding healthy tissue is less likely to be damaged.

The full report suite on the global market for elbow repair devices includes primary elbow implants, radial head implants and plates and screws for elbow repair.

The full report suite on the global market for shoulder reconstruction device includes the total shoulder implant, reversed shoulder implant, hemi shoulder implant, resurfacing shoulder implant, revision shoulder implant and proximal humerus plate and screw markets.