Pitcher Undergoes Arthroscopy

By Tom Keppeler, Knee1 Staff

Before baseball players begin warming up for Spring Training, some routine maintenance needs to be done. The running, batting and pitching that players go through during the season takes its toll on baseball players. Cleveland Indians starting pitcher Chuck Finley is no exception—this week, he underwent surgery to clear out his rusty right knee.

Finley, who was 16-11 this season, avoided the team's injured list throughout the season. However, loose bits of cartilage troubled his knees during and after pitching, according to the Associated Press. An 18-minute procedure in Anaheim, California, by Dr. Lewis Yocum removed the floating bits of cartilage from his knee.

Stray bits of cartilage can be a painful and irksome problem in knees. Whether caused by a degeneration of the tissue, a forceful impact, or, as in most pitchers, overuse, cartilage may become dislodged from its origins within the knee. The cartilage may then plague the joint, making it painful to move, swollen, and potentially harmful to surrounding tissues. The arthroscopic procedure that removes it is known as debridement. To learn more about this procedure, click here.