CME expires January 31, 2029

Master the fundamentals of arthroscopy and elevate your practice.

Scoped: Arthroscopy Fundamentals of the Shoulder and Elbow is a technique-focused learning series designed to improve safety, efficiency, and reproducibility in everyday arthroscopic practice. This course focuses on the decisions that most directly impact outcomes (positioning and room setup, anesthesia coordination, portal planning, visualization control, and systematic diagnostic surveys) then applies those fundamentals to common, high-yield shoulder and elbow procedures. Each lesson emphasizes practical “do-this-next” workflows, neurovascular risk mitigation, intraoperative troubleshooting, and standardized documentation that supports consistent execution across cases and teams.

What You'll Learn

• How to build a defensible arthroscopy plan (patient selection, positioning, setup, and portal strategy) matched to pathology and conversion needs
• How to coordinate anesthesia and hemodynamic goals to support visualization, safety, and postoperative analgesia
• How to establish and maintain stable visualization with disciplined inflow/outflow management and stepwise “cloudy field” troubleshooting
• How to perform systematic diagnostic shoulder and elbow surveys that reliably map pathology and guide efficient treatment decisions
• How to execute stepwise, reproducible approaches to key procedures, with emphasis on safe trajectories and common technical pitfalls
• How to anticipate complications, recognize escalation triggers, and apply phase-based postoperative principles that protect healing and function

What's Included

• Video-integrated lessons across shoulder and elbow arthroscopy
• Structured content with learning objectives, technique workflows, pearls/pitfalls, and safety checkpoints
• A comprehensive Knowledge Check examination at the end of the course, with board-style multiple-choice questions
• Supplemental resources and references, including links to related JAAOS articles, Orthopaedic Video Theater (OVT) videos, and AAOS book chapters

Editor

Edward Walker Gallego, MD

Learning Objectives

• Select appropriate candidates for shoulder and elbow arthroscopy, including identifying scenarios where open surgery or referral is more appropriate.
• Choose and justify positioning and OR setup (including conversion planning, padding, traction/tourniquet strategy, and airway access) aligned with the clinical goals and anticipated pathology.
• Coordinate an anesthesia plan that supports intraoperative conditions and postoperative analgesia, using shared decision making with the anesthesia team.
• Plan and execute a portal strategy that achieves diagnostic access and therapeutic reach while minimizing neurovascular risk through reliable landmarks, needle testing, and trajectory control.
• Maintain stable visualization by proactively managing inflow/outflow, pump and suction settings, and hemostasis, and by applying structured protocols to troubleshoot poor visualization.
• Perform systematic diagnostic surveys of the shoulder and elbow and adapt the surgical plan in real time based on survey findings and dynamic assessment.
• Mitigate complications by adhering to safety zones, recognizing escalation/bailout triggers, and making timely intraoperative adjustments (re-needle, alter trajectory, convert, or abort when necessary).
• Standardize documentation and postoperative planning including key images/clips, fluid totals, analgesia instructions, and rehabilitation guardrails aligned with recovery goals.

Earn up to 10 AMA PRA Category 1 CME credits™.