Do this exercise if you are unable to extend your knee fully. Torn meniscus exercises the good, the bad, the ugly oh. This concept is useful during rehabilitation of the repaired meniscus. Newyorkpresbyterian hospital weill cornell medical center 525 east 68th street, baker 16 new york, ny 10065 tel. How well the knee will heal and whether surgery will be needed depends in large part on the type of tear see figure in appendix and how bad the tear is. Meniscus tear rehabilitation and exercises whatever the form of meniscus treatment, rehab is must for a patient to fully recover from the meniscal tear. You may do the rest of the exercises when the pain in your knee has decreased. The decision by the surgeon to repair or remove is based primarily on the location of the meniscal tear.
When the meniscus root is repaired there will be a prolonged. Home exercises ankle pumps 2 sets of 10, 23 times per day. Summary table post op phasegoals therapeutic exercise precautions phase i weeks 14 goals. Meniscal cartilage tear exercises summit medical group. The repaired meniscus would benefit from weight bearing forces to compress and approximate the edges of the early repair. Diminish inflammation and swelling restore rom full knee ext, knee flex to 90. There is one on the inside of the knee medial and one on the outside lateral. In his epidemiological study conducted on 17,397 patients in germany and switzerland, soccer, followed by skiing, are the sport with an increased risk of meniscal injuries. Rehabilitation exercises a meniscus tear is a common knee joint injury. The video contains great information about the meniscus anatomy too, and has all the right exercises, which you can easily do at home with no equipment, following a meniscal injury or meniscus surgery.
The meniscus is a cshaped piece of cartilage in the knee that cushions and acts as a. Physical therapy pt can be useful for a torn meniscus whether or not you have surgery. Focusing on secondary and support muscles to improve stability during movements and performance. Madison, wi 53718 rehabilitation guidelines for meniscal repair there are two types of cartilage in the knee, articular cartilage and meniscus cartilage. The orthopedic surgeon may modify the time frames and weight bearing status, as necessary, to allow adequate healing time. If you have questions, contact the referring physician. Work with your doctor to plan a rehabilitation rehab program that helps you regain as much. Physical therapy exercises for a knee meniscus tear. Torn meniscus exercises the good, the bad, the ugly oh my. Torn knee meniscus exercises include mobility, stretching, strengthening and sports specific exercises. This protocol is a guideline for your rehabilitation after arthroscopic knee surgery. It will consist of a series of progressive weight bearing, range of motion, muscle strengthening and cardiovascular exercises.
For most tears, some simple exercises can help maintain muscle strength in the front of the thigh quadriceps, back of the thigh hamstr. To avoid placing stress on the meniscus repair, do not bend. Articular cartilage is made up of collagen, proteoglycans and water and lines. Meniscus repair rehabilitation protocol the following is a protocol for postoperative patients following meniscus repair. Find out when it helps, what to expect, and how long youll need to do it for. The treatment chosen will depend on the location of the tear, the athletes sport, ligamentous stability of the knee and any associated injury. A coordinated program of physical therapy and home exercises can advance healing in your knee and help you return to desired activities. Quadriceps strengthening, making sure that closed chain exercises occur. Your orthopaedic surgeon or physical therapist may recommend that you exercise for approximately 20 to 30 minutes, 2 or 3 times a day.
The menisci are cshaped tissues inside the knee joint, located between the thigh femoral and shin tibia cartilage surfaces. These will be all the required exercises needed until you are seen by your physical therapist in the of. In the early stages of torn meniscus rehabilitation simple range of motion can begin, but within the limits of pain. Meniscus repair rehabilitation the following protocol is a guideline for rehabilitation following meniscus repair.
Brotzman sb, wilk ke, clinical orthopeadic rehabilitation. Knee meniscus repair post operative rehabilitation protocol. The protocol may be modified depending on the location and extent of the meniscal tear and subsequent repair. As tolerated should be understood to include with safety for the reconstructionrepair. Evidence based management of meniscal tears kenneth g. To ensure that this program is safe and effective for you, it should be performed under your doctors supervision. Meniscus repair rehabilitation program gundersen health system. Knee meniscus repair post operative rehabilitation. After meniscal surgery, rehabilitation with a physical therapist or athletic trainer is needed to restore range of motion, strength, movement control and guide the athletes return to sport. Avoid using stairstepper machines, doing deep knee bends and squats. Gills office or your physical therapist if you are having a problem with your. No active hamstring exercises electrical stimulation in full extension with quad sets and slr. Postoperative knee meniscus repair rehabilitation protocol from san francisco orthopaedic sports medicine surgeon dr.
Department of rehabilitation medicine jaspal r singh, m. Lowe this rehabilitation protocol was developed for patients who have isolated meniscal repairs. Proprioception and balance exercises are possible to do only. The medial meniscus is semicircular in shape and the lateral meniscus is almost a. Do this exercise if you are unable to extend your knee. These exercises should be started the day after surgery.
While lying on your back, place a rolledup towel under the heel of your injured leg so the heel is about 6 inches off the ground. Work with your doctor to plan a rehabilitation rehab program that helps you regain as much strength and flexibility in your knee as possible. For example, younger people and those whove experienced a traumatic injury are more likely to require surgery than older people who have a chronic meniscus. Knee flexion and extension with the aim of maintaining range of motion to the injured knee. Nov 16, 2016 in the early stages of torn meniscus rehabilitation simple range of motion can begin, but within the limits of pain. How well the knee will heal and whether surgery will be needed depends in large part on the type of tear and how bad the tear is. Your physiotherapist has diagnosed you with a degenerative meniscal tear. Rehabilitation guidelines for meniscal repair uw health. Work with your doctor to plan a rehabilitation rehab program that helps you regain as much strength and.
By the end of this phase you should have nearly full ability to bend and straighten your knee. Be sure to rotate your leg outward laterally slightly to gain a better activation of the medial inner side of the. There is a growing body of evidence surrounding the pathology and treatment of meniscal root tears. Work with your doctor to plan a rehabilitation rehab program that helps you regain as much strength. We have remained at the forefront of medicine by fostering a culture of collaboration, pushing the boundaries of medical research, educating the brightest medical minds and maintaining an unwavering commitment to the diverse communities we serve. Torn knee meniscus exercises mobility, strengthening. A discoid meniscus is abnormally shaped and more prone to injury than a normal meniscus. Meniscus rehab exercises the physical therapy advisor. Change dressing, keep wound covered, continue ted hose pod 710. Here we outline some exercises for a torn meniscus injury. Meniscus tear rehabilitation exercises health hearty. It is important to begin working on range of motion right after surgery as this will help in your overall recovery. The gundersen sports medicine meniscus repair rehabilitation program is an. These may include cardiovascular fitness, strengthening exercises for weak muscles, stretches for tight structures andor exercises to improve your movement control.
The outer onethird of the meniscus has a rich blood supply. Knee arthroscopy exercise guide regular exercise to restore strength and mobility to your knee is important for your full recovery after arthroscopic surgery. Remember to check out this great exercise video for torn meniscus exercises, and you can also read more articles about meniscus injuries. You may vary in your ability to do these exercises and to progress to full resumption of your previous activity. A meniscus tear can cause varied complications in a person and lead to a whole lot of pain. In case of majority of meniscus tears, few easy exercises can help preserve muscle strength in the front thigh or quadriceps, back of. The meniscus is a wedgeshaped piece of cartilage that sits in between the bones of the knee.
You have both an inner medial and outer lateral meniscus that help distribute the forces in the knee when you are weightbearing. When and where you start rehabilitation will depend on whether you have. Common tears include longitudinal, parrotbeak, flap, bucket handle, and mixedcomplex. The menisci are wedge shaped, being thinner toward the center of the. Rehabilitation protocol for meniscal repair rehabilitation guidelines. Anterior cruciate ligament acl and meniscus repair rehabilitation protocol general notes. Talk to your doctor or physical therapist about which exercises will best help you meet your rehabilitation goals. As reported by majewski, injuries to the menisci are the second most common injury to the knee, with an incidence of 12% to 14% and a prevalence of 61 cases per 100,000 persons6. Knee rehabilitation exercises to ensure that this program is safe and effective for you, it should be performed under your doctors supervision. This blood supply is necessary for a tear or a repair to heal. Apr 07, 2019 rehab protocol for meniscus tear treatment. The thick, abnormal shape of a discoid meniscus makes it more likely to get stuck in the knee or tear. Nov 16, 2016 torn knee meniscus exercises include mobility, stretching, strengthening and sports specific exercises. Anterior cruciate ligament acl and meniscus repair.
You may ride the stationary bicycle daily for 10 to 20 minutes. Here we outline some rehabilitation exercises which may form part of a meniscus injury rehabilitation program. Sports injury medicine department 9250 sw hall blvd. Rest and elevate the knee when not doing your rehabilitation exercises. Specific intervention should be based on the needs of the individual and should consider exam findings and clinical decision making. Isometric or static quadriceps exercises can begin. The primary goal of this protocol is to protect the reconstruction while steadily progressing towards and ultimately achieving. Op rehabilitation protocol the following is a protocol for postoperative patients following an isolated meniscus repair. That is why it becomes important to carry through certain rehabilitation exercises to help in speeding the healing process of the meniscus muscle and bring about relief. Jan 16, 2016 postoperative knee meniscus repair rehabilitation protocol from san francisco orthopaedic sports medicine surgeon dr. Physical therapy pt and exercises for a meniscus tear rehab.
The meniscus is a cshaped piece of cartilage in the knee that cushions and acts as a shock absorber between your thigh bone femur and shin bone tibia. Your rehabilitation begins once you arrive home from surgery. Do the exercises daily for the first week, then decrease to every other day when using ankle weights. Manual stretching for extension with overpressure or recurvatum. Jan 21, 20 the rehabilitation treatment begins from the first postoperative day with the pharmacological pain control, the resolution of swelling and individual exercises programs, to restore, as soon as possible and carefully, knee joint mobility, muscular forces, and physiological gait4,43. Be sure to rotate your leg outward laterally slightly to gain a better activation of the medial inner side of the quadriceps. The primary goal of this protocol is to protect the repair while steadily progressing towards and ultimately achieving preinjury level of activity. Rehabilitation guidelines for meniscal repair of root and. The outer parts have adequate blood supply, but the middle and inner parts have poor blood supply. Meniscal repairs located in the vascular zones of the periphery or outer third of the meniscus are progressed more rapidly than those repairs that are. Suggestions for some daily stretches to start with at home. Gallandkirby acl reconstruction with meniscus repair postsurgical rehabilitation protocol postop days 1 14 dressing. Rehabilitation protocol for meniscus repair this protocol is intended to guide clinicians and patients through the postoperative course for a meniscus repair.
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