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Arthroscopy has been the stepchild of rheumatology and orthopedics. It is by no means a new procedure; Kenji Takazi reportedly was the first to explore the interior of the knee joint using a cystoscope in 1918. Since then, there have been only scattered reports of the use of arthroscopy; the procedure just has not caught on. However, in certain centers throughout the world, the equipment and technique have become quite sophisticated. Watanabe, a protégé of Takazi, published the first edition of Atlas of Arthroscopy in 1957 in order to popularize the arthroscope.
Despite the apparent lack of enthusiasm, arthroscopy is not without advantage. Not all pathological conditions are in reach of the examining eye or hand. Roentgenograms of course, do not usually show soft tissue abnormalities. The arthroscope, like the bronchoscope, cystoscope, and proctoscope, provides direct rather than inferential information. The arthroscopist then may make a visual diagnosis of suspected