Which term describes the surgical procedure that entails loosening a joint of restrictive tissues?

The term that describes the surgical procedure involving the loosening of a joint from restrictive tissues is arthrolysis. This procedure is specifically aimed at relieving stiffness and restoring mobility to a joint that has become restricted due to the presence of scar tissue, adhesions, or other limiting factors.

In arthrolysis, the surgeon typically removes the fibrous tissue or other obstructive elements that impede the normal range of motion in the joint. This is crucial for patients who may be suffering from conditions such as post-traumatic stiffness or certain inflammatory joint diseases, where mobility is significantly impacted.

Other options like arthroclasia refer to the deliberate breaking of an anklosed joint to restore movement, while arthroplasty involves reconstructive surgery to replace or repair a damaged joint. Bursectomy is the surgical removal of a bursa, a small fluid-filled sac that reduces friction between tissues. Each of these procedures serves different purposes and targets different aspects of joint dysfunction, but it is arthrolysis that specifically addresses the loosening of joints from restrictive tissues.