Introducing Arthroscopy to a Developing Nation: When and How to Make It Sustainable

Abstract

The 2010 World Cup soccer tournament in South Africa was, by most accounts, the most-watched sporting event ever. The event highlighted the ability of sports, and soccer in particular, to serve as an important source of identity, collaboration, and international unity1-3. The World Cup showcased the improving infrastructure in South Africa, and the citizens were praised for being great hosts1,4. Several other African and Latin American teams, most notably those of Ghana and Uruguay, also received recognition for their impressive play. One factor contributing to the global popularity of the event was the improved telecommunications access brought about by general socioeconomic stability in much of the developing world. Over the course of the tournament, articles also noted the popularity of soccer in Africa and the impressive number of young soccer players determined to play despite meager conditions5-7. In the developed world, youth soccer is considered a high-risk sport for knee ligament and meniscal injuries5. A significant number of these patients undergo anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) reconstruction or arthroscopic meniscal repair in the hope of returning to soccer or at least preventing early-onset arthritis. To date, most of the literature and interventions related to orthopaedics in the developing world have focused on the care of musculoskeletal trauma8-11, with some additional attention to the treatment of congenital deformities12-14. In contrast, there has been little mention of the role of arthroscopy or the treatment of sports-related injuries within the scope of musculoskeletal care in a developing nation. We report here our experience of donating arthroscopy equipment to orthopaedic surgeons in Asmara, Eritrea (in East Africa), in November 2009. We do not pretend to be experts in this area. Our goal in …