Detachment of the tip of a motorized shaver within the knee joint: a complication of arthroscopic surgery.

In arthroscopic procedures, instrument failures are rare complications with low incidences. We present a case of detachment of the tip of the motorized shaver within the knee joint during an arthroscopic anterior cruciate ligament reconstruction procedure. This is the first report of its kind to our knowledge. We did not realize that the tip was missing within the knee joint during the surgery. We believe that the design of the shaver blade that was used needs modification, and surgeons must take special precautions to inspect the instrument before and after placing it in the joint.