Current problems in orthopaedics: Arthroscopic surgery of the knee

CURRENT PROBLEMS IN ORTHOPAEDICS : ARTHROSCOPIC SURGERY OF THE KNEE D.J.

Dandy

Churchill-Livingstone,

Edinburgh,

1981, 136pp,

X28.00

This monograph begins with a brief history of arthroscopy and arthroscopic surgery. While the technique has been known for many years it is only in the last ten years that it has become widely accepted in the English speaking world. There follows a chapter on ‘Diagnostic Arthroscopy’. This will be particularly useful for the beginner who may not wish to purchase a separate manual on arthroscopy. It will certainly be of benefit too, to those who have considerable experience but have not yet moved into surgical techniques since alternative insertions are well covered. The basic techniques of arthroscopic surgery including instruments are covered. It is heartening to discover that a modest outlay of instruments can get the enthusiast started. Since most surgeons will have an arthroscope already, for those interested in the field, the purchase of an operating arthroscope can probably be deferred until the surgeon wishes to expand his repertoire of surgery. The chapter on Operations on the Synovium and joint capsule which follows gives the impression of trying to find as many uses for the arthroscope as possible rather than is necessary. Chapter Five, however, begins to impart the wealth of information, only to be found at the pen of the expert in the subject. ‘The loose body’ becomes a malevolent live creature bent on defying the arthroscopist to remove it. The real meat of the surgical section on meniscal

lesions is of course the area in which we all would like to become expert. Alas, there is no comfort here for those who would become experts overnight. For those prepared to begin with easier tasks and work up to meniscal lesions this chapter will undoubtedly repay second and subsequent readings. It is here also that the author questions traditional ideas of meniscal pathology and management. The management of lesions of each meniscus is dealt with separately. The final two chapters set out (a) a system for learning arthroscopic surgery and (b) some useful results and clinical experience. Before embarking on any arthroscopic surgery the surgeon would do well to reflect on these two chapters. Mr. Dandy clearly does not wish arthroscopic surgery to fall into disrepute by the efforts of enthusiastic bunglers and his graded approach has much to commend it. For the bioengineer there may appear little of interest in this monography. However, the superlative quality of the illustrations may assist in his understanding of the contents of this joint. By understanding what the surgeon is trying to do the engineer may assist better in the design of instruments for the future. As a beginner in Arthroscopic surgery, I can only recommend this monograph to those specially interested in this field. Buy your own copy though, because having read it, you’ll’want to read it again and again. E. R. S. Ross

NEW FRONTIERS OF ELECTROCARDIOLOGY Editors,

F. de Padua

and

P.W.

Macfarlane

Research Studies Press, 1981, 538 pp, X27.50 This book is based on the proceedings of the 7th International Congress on Electrocardiology, held in Lisbon, June 1980. The problem with books like this is often that they do not show a representative

sample of the state of the art in the field at issue. This book however does not seem to suffer from this lack since a wide variety of topics is covered. What makes this book in particular interesting is

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October

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