Abstract: An arthroscopic instrument assembly (100), comprising: an illumination system (120) for illuminating an operative field, including a light source (122a) configured to produce light having at least one ligament excitation wavelength; an arthroscope (110); an image transmission system (130) configured to transmit a fluorescent image of the operative field at a distal end (112b) of the arthroscope (110) to an image viewing system (150); an image processing system (140) configured to process the fluorescent image as it passes through the image transmission system, so as to provide a false-color fluorescent image of the operative field in which a contrast between ligament and bone structures present in the operative field is enhanced relative to the unprocessed fluorescent image; and an image viewing system (150), operably connected to the image transmission system (130), and including a display (152) configured to enable viewing of the false-color fluorescent image.