A polished surface of an arthroscopic instrument for improving visualization of the portion of an ankle joint under repair known as the gutter. The instrument has a handle, a shaft, and a head, at least a portion of the head is polished to provide a mirrored surface for viewing the gutter. Alternatively, the arthroscopic instrument may have a handle, a shaft, and a head, where the head is cylindrical and includes a plurality of apertures extending along the axis of the cylindrical head to define a plurality of guides.