The Merck Manuals Online Medical Library describes the shoulder joint as being composed of a shallow socket, the glenoid bone, into which fits a ball -- the head of the arm bone, or the humerus. This socket is cushioned by a cartilaginous rubbery lining attached to its tip known as the labrum. Magnetic resonance imaging, or MRI, is usually required for diagnosis, and the condition needs surgical repair in most instances. Before undergoing shoulder arthroscopy, the patient should consider the possible effects.
Recurrent Pain
The September 2010 issue of the Sports Medicine and Arthroscopy Review makes note of the fact that pain may persist after many instances of shoulder arthroscopy. Persistent or recurrent shoulder pain after the procedure may be due to an injury to the joint's cartilage caused by the operative instrument or suture. But the pain may persist after the operation due to the presence of another underlying shoulder disease or pathology.
Shoulder Stiffness
Stiffness of the shoulder which may reduce the normal range of motion is a potential complication of shoulder arthroscopy, according to the Orthopedic Center of St. Louis Hospital. The use of the technique of shoulder arthroscopy in surgery is meant to reduce the incidence of this complication. Arthroscopy is a minimally invasive procedure involving the insertion of surgical tools and a video camera inside the joint through small incisions. Smaller incisions, and consequently less manipulation inside the joint, translate into less scar tissue and a more mobile joint. Early rehabilitation, as prescribed by the treating surgeon, plays an important role in reducing shoulder stiffness.
Other Effects
According to the Orthopedic Center of St. Louis Hospital, arthroscopy may be complicated by any of the following: damage to nerves around the shoulder area, injury of blood vessels leading to bleeding and the possibility of postoperative infection. Patients may also suffer from complications due to anesthesia, although they are relatively uncommon.
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