Abstract Objective The purpose of this paper is to introduce the surgical method of arthroscopic gastrocnemius recession for non-spastic gastrocnemius contracture and evaluate its postoperative effect. Methods From June 2014 to June 2018, 17 patients (19 feet) with non-spastic gastrocnemius contracture were treated with arthroscopy in our hospital. The maximal angle of dorsiflexion in the ankle was measured before the operation, three months after the operation and at the last follow-up while the knee fully extended. In addition, the patient's postoperative complications were recorded. Results All the 17 patients (19 feet) were followed up for an average of 14 months (9 months to 18 months). The maximum passive dorsiflexion angle of the ankle was (0.8 ±3.6) °, (14.8 ±2.5) °and (13.2 ±2.6) °, respectively. Compared with 3 months after the operation, the ankle dorsiflexion of the patients increased by about 14 °on average, and the difference was statistically significant (P < 0.01). Compared with the last follow-up , the average increase of ankle dorsum flexion was about 12 °, and the difference was statistically significant (P < 0.01). Conclusion It is found that the improvement of dorsiflexion in the ankle after the endoscopic release of non-spastic gastrocnemius contracture is relatively satisfactory. Among them, the method of the minimally invasive and aesthetic incision can reduce the occurrence of postoperative complications, and the operation is simple. This is also a minimally invasive and effective method for the treatment of non-spastic gastrocnemius contracture.