This narrative review by Robert Jackson — himself a central figure in arthroscopy's North American introduction — traces the field's evolution from Bozzini's 1806 lichtleiter through the founding of ISAKOS in 1997, profiling the key pioneers, technological breakthroughs, and organizational developments that transformed joint inspection into operative surgery.
Understanding arthroscopy's historical development provides context for current techniques and helps appreciate how technological advances in lighting and fiber optics enabled modern minimally invasive joint surgery.
This narrative review by Robert Jackson — himself a central figure in arthroscopy's North American introduction — traces the field's evolution from Bozzini's 1806 lichtleiter through the founding of ISAKOS in 1997, profiling the key pioneers, technological breakthroughs, and organizational developments that transformed joint inspection into operative surgery.
Understanding arthroscopy's historical development provides context for current techniques and helps appreciate how technological advances in lighting and fiber optics enabled modern minimally invasive joint surgery.