To quote one of the greatest Italian veterinary surgeons, Professor Giancarlo Pezzoli, arthroscopy can be defined as ‘investigation of intra-articular structures carried out using an instrument provided with optic vision’ (Pezzoli, 1998). Referring to his elegant paper for a historic review, it can be seen that the importance of arthroscopy in diagnosing equine joint diseases was reported in 1978 (McIlwraith, 2000). Diagnostic and surgical arthroscopy cannot replace conventional methods and must not do so; however, the intrinsic limitations of conventional diagnostic techniques, such as radiology and synovial fluid analysis, must be kept in mind (McIlwraith and Trotter, 1996), particularly in evaluating damage to cartilage and the synovial membrane. The advantages of surgical arthroscopy over traditional surgery are well known: limited hospitalization, early return to competition, lower risks of post-operative joint rigidity, magnification of inspected structures, joint lavage and associated removal of potentially dangerous substances. New arthroscopic methods will be described, together with future perspectives, rather than reviewing classic methods, which are well covered by the literature and in reference texts (McIlwraith, 1990).