Torn Cartilage Knee Injury Rehabilitation
Stage 1
| Common Signs & Symptoms | |||||
| Pain | Swelling | Stiffness | Weakness | Instability | Locking |
 |
|
|
|
||
The following programme is that typically used by a professional football player who has undergone an arthroscopic meniscectomy.
If the medial meniscus (inner side compartment of the knee) has been operated on, the rehabilitation time is usually quicker than if the lateral meniscus (outer side compartment of the knee joint) has been operated on. In the case of an arthroscopic meniscal procedure involving the lateral meniscus the rehab will usually take 6 -8 weeks. In the case of the medial compartment it may be possible to return to sport after 3 or 4 weeks.
Ex-Rangers and Scotland player Ally McCoist once famously returned to playing in less than two weeks after arthroscopic meniscal surgery. The length of rehabilitation is dependent upon which meniscus is affected, exactly where the tear is, the size of the tear and the amount of meniscus which is removed by the surgeon.
On discharge from hospital the patient may be on crutches. With the permission of the consultant, the physiotherapist can begin teaching a normal gait pattern so that the patient can resume walking normally. If there is still a limp it is too early to walk without crutches.
Any residual swelling should be controlled with a compression device such as a cryocuff or flowtron pneumatic unit. These both have the effect of squeezing the knee joint, helping the excess fluid within the joint to disperse.
Isometric quadriceps and hamstring exercises should be initiated:
- An isometric quads contraction is achieved by siting on the floor with the legs straight and then pushing the back of the knee down towards the floor. This contraction should be held for 4 seconds and then relaxed.
- To do an isometric hamstring contraction the patient should sit in a chair with the heel to the floor, and then dig the heel into the floor, as if trying to drag the foot backwards. Again this contraction should be held for 4 seconds.
The isometric quads and hamstring work should be done in 5 sets of 10, repeated 3-4 times per day.
Range-of-movement exercises should be initiated as soon as possible. Extension of the knee is achieved via the isometric quads exercises. Knee flexion is regained by sitting on the floor with the knees out straight, and then attempting to bend the knee. This can be made easier by placing something that slides easily, like a plastic bag, under the heel, then sliding the heel up and down. Another method of increasing the knee's range of movement is to sit in a high chair with the feet hanging free. The affected leg should be swung backwards and forwards, with the range of movement gradually increased over time.
Recommended Products for Torn Cartilage Knee Injury
Torn Cartilage Knee Supports & Braces
Vulkan 5mm Neoprene Knee Support (open kneecap)
Our Price
£19.99
Great for relieving knee pain in cold weather and features an open kneecap section to provide mild support to relieve knee pain...
FREE Vulkan Boot Bag with this item on orders > £50
McDavid Adjustable Patella Knee Support
Our Price
£39.99 £34.99
'One Size Fits All' knee support for knee ligament and cartilage injuries. The wraparound neoprene design has supportive steel...
Mueller Hg80 Hinged Knee Brace with Kevlar
Our Price
£74.99 £69.99
#1 SELLING KNEE BRACE!Our best selling sports and skiing knee brace. Great for the treatment of knee ligament injuries...
FREE Drinks Bottle with this item on orders > £50Vulkan Silicon Knee Support
Our Price
£28.99 £21.99
Silicon lined knee support for knee injury treatment and sports use. Provides warmth and extra compression to speed up healing...
FREE Vulkan Boot Bag with this item on orders > £50Mueller Hg80 Knee Brace with Kevlar
Our Price
£54.99
Ultra comfortable hinge free knee brace with closed kneecap. Features flexible steel springs that provide support for cartilage...
FREE Drinks Bottle with this item on orders > £50Donjoy Drytex Playmaker Knee Brace
Our Price
£174.99
FOR SPORT & REHAB!Superb sports and skiing hinged knee brace for ACL knee ligament injuries and cartilage tears. Has...
Rehabilitation Kit
Exercise Band Pack
Our Price
£12.99
Superb value, 8 x 1m length resistance bands in all 4 varying strengths, for use during rehab exercises for the shoulder, ankle,...
Wooden Wobble Board
Our Price
£39.99 £29.99
A very robust 35cm diameter wooden Wobble Board with an anti-slip top. Tilts around a full 360 degrees for the ultimate balance...
AquaJogger 100 Floatation Belt
Our Price
£39.99 £26.99
A floatation belt that allows an early return to activity in the swimming pool. Early non weight bearing cardiovascular...
Ice Packs & Cold Therapy
PhysioRoom.com Instant Ice Pack
Our Price 1+ £1.99
6+ £1.19
12+ £0.99
24+
SAVE UP TO 60%!A mouldable pack that becomes an instant therapeutic ice pack, without the need for refrigeration....
Mueller Reusable Cold/Hot Therapy Wrap (Large)
Our Price
£24.99
15cm x 22.5cm fabric wrap with adjustable flaps, used to secure two supplied ice / heat packs in place. ...
FREE Drinks Bottle with this item on orders > £50Aircast Knee Cryo/Cuff with Cooler
Our Price
£139.99 £99.99
Ultimate knee ice therapy; provides 6 hours continuous cold and compression to minimise bleeding, swelling and pain. ...
Knee Injuries
- ACL Knee Injury & Reconstruction
- Torn Cartilage Knee Injury
- Runner's Knee
- LCL Knee Ligament Injury
- MCL Knee Ligament Injury
- Osgood Schlatters
- Knee Arthritis
- Osteochondritis Dissecans
- Patella Fracture
- Jumpers Knee
- Patellofemoral Pain Syndrome
- PCL Tear
Related Articles
Receive our latest news and offers.
Information
& Expertise
You Can Trust
All medical information at PhysioRoom.com is provided by Chartered Physiotherapists, who specialise in sports medicine.
We use full 128-bit encryption technology to keep your order and payment details safe.
SHOP
0 Items
£0.00
© Copyright PhysioRoom.com 2001-2008. All rights reserved. Sitemap.
IMPORTANT SAFETY NOTICE
The articles on this web site are provided for general information only and should not be used as a basis for diagnosis or treatment. All exercises and information featured on this web site should only be practised under the supervision of a qualified healthcare professional.
We accept most major credit/debits cards
PhysioRoom.com Limited, Unit 1 & 2 Dawson Court, Billington Road, Burnley, Lancashire BB11 5UB, England
- Sitemaps:
- Sitemap,
- Product Sitemap,
- XML Sitemap.
- Advertise on PhysioRoom.com:
- Download our Media Pack (230KB PDF File).
Anatomy Images
All figures marked © Martin Dunitz 2001 have been taken from Sports Injuries: Their Prevention and Treatment, 3rd Edition, by Lars Peterson and Per Renstrom, published by Martin Dunitz Ltd.
www.dunitz.co.uk
Sports Injury & Physiotherapy Search Marketing by Epiphany.
