You start with exercises that focus on range of motion, like flexing and extending your knee as much as you can without pain. Place an exercise band around your thighs above your knees. When you tear your meniscus, your knee becomes unstable. Sports injury medicine department 9250 sw hall blvd. For most tears, some simple exercises can help maintain muscle strength in the front of the thigh quadriceps, back. Epidemiological studies showed that all meniscal lesions, in different sports athletes, involves 24% of medial meniscus, while 8% of lateral meniscus and about 2030% of meniscal lesions are associated with other ligament injuries. You have both an inner medial and outer lateral meniscus that help distribute the forces in the. Lowe this rehabilitation protocol was developed for patients who have isolated meniscal repairs. Do this exercise if you are unable to extend your knee fully. You begin basic exercises, like straight leg raises and toe raises. Often people also experience popping and clicking in. A meniscus tear is a common knee injury that often affects people who play contact sports.
When people talk about torn cartilage in the knee, they are usually referring to a torn meniscus. This article explains about the various rehab, pt and exercises that are done after knee surgeries partial or complete menisectomy, meniscal repair surgery, and knee injuries like lateral meniscus tear and injury to help with early recovery period. A simple heel slide can improve the flexion rom, and the prone hang exercise may improve extension rom strengthening exercises. Rehabilitation protocol for meniscus repair this protocol is intended to guide clinicians and patients through the postoperative course for a meniscus repair. Working with a physical therapist can help you regain maximal knee range of motion and strength and can help you return to your normal optimal level of activity. Meniscus tear rehabilitation exercises health hearty. These meniscus tear stretches and exercises should help if youve had a meniscal tear. The treatment chosen will depend on the location of the tear, the athletes sport, ligamentous stability of the knee and any associated injury. While lying on your back, place a rolledup towel under the heel of your. Meniscus tear rehabilitation and exercises whatever the form of meniscus treatment, rehab is must for a patient to fully recover from the meniscal tear. Nov 16, 2016 phase 3 torn meniscus rehabilitation duration. Work with your doctor to plan a rehabilitation rehab program that helps you regain as much strength and flexibility in your knee as possible.
Talk to your doctor or physical therapist about which exercises will best help you meet your rehabilitation goals. The outer onethird of the meniscus has a rich blood supply. Physical therapy exercises for a knee meniscus tear. Knee arthroscopy with meniscus repair rehab protocol longitudinal bucket handle tears this protocol provides you with general guidelines for initial stage and progression of rehabilitation according to specified time frames, related tissue tolerance and directional preference of movement. Jan 21, 20 epidemiological studies showed that all meniscal lesions, in different sports athletes, involves 24% of medial meniscus, while 8% of lateral meniscus and about 2030% of meniscal lesions are associated with other ligament injuries. The primary function of the articular cartilage is to. To ensure that this program is safe and effective for you, it should be performed under your doctors supervision. Work with your doctor to plan a rehabilitation rehab program that helps you regain as much. In case of majority of meniscus tears, few easy exercises can help preserve muscle strength in the front thigh or quadriceps, back of thigh or hamstrings, hip and calf muscles.
Here we outline some exercises for a torn meniscus injury. You can accomplish this by imagining youre pushing the back of your knee against the floor. Anterior cruciate ligament acl and meniscus repair. Torn knee meniscus exercises mobility, strengthening. Introduction to meniscus tear rehabilitation exercises. Specific changes in the program will be made by the. Common tears include longitudinal, parrotbeak, flap, bucket handle, and mixedcomplex. Articular cartilage is made up of collagen, proteoglycans and water which lines the end of the bones that meet to form a joint. Rehabilitation guidelines for meniscal repair uw health. May 30, 2016 these meniscus tear stretches and exercises should help if youve had a meniscal tear. That is why it becomes important to carry through certain rehabilitation exercises to help in speeding the healing process of. Be sure to rotate your leg outward laterally slightly to gain a better activation of the medial inner side of the quadriceps.
Dont let your pelvis wobble as you move up and down. An mri scan mag netic resonance imaging can help diagnose a meniscal tear. Knee rehabilitation following meniscectomy, meniscal repair. You could also add an ankle weight to increase the. Also great exercises to do if you have a meniscus tear and want to strengthen your legs in general. Exercises usually begin with mobility and isometric static. Rest and elevate the knee when not doing your rehabilitation exercises. When and where you start rehabilitation will depend on whether you have had surgery or not. Also, the medial meniscus absorbs up to 50% of the shock of the medial compartment, making the medial meniscus susceptible to injury. The meniscus is a cartilaginous structure and does not have its own blood supply, so the tear may or may not heal, depending on where your meniscal injury is exactly, initially for the first 612 weeks following a meniscal injury or surgery, it would be better to avoid adding any extra weights to a squat. Rehabilitation exercises a meniscus tear is a common knee joint injury. 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. The decision by the surgeon to repair or remove is based primarily on the location of the meniscal tear.
These exercises should be started the day after surgery. The gundersen sports medicine meniscus repair rehabilitation program is an. Knee rehabilitation exercises to ensure that this program is safe and effective for you, it should be performed under your doctors supervision. Sep 17, 2018 meniscus tear rehab best exercises best exercises to strengthen your legs after a menisectomy. A 12week exercise therapy program in middleaged patients. If you have questions, contact the referring physician. Torn meniscus exercises the good, the bad, the ugly oh my. Do this exercise if you are unable to fully extend your knee. Specific intervention should be based on the needs of the individual and should consider exam findings and clinical decision making. Beneficial and repairing knee strengthening exercises for a. Exercises can be done to help improve the way your knee moves. Physical therapy pt and exercises for a meniscus tear rehab. 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.
Sit on the ground with your legs extended in front of you. Meniscal cartilage tear exercises summit medical group. If you have a knee meniscus tear, you may benefit from a physical therapy exercise program to rehabilitate your knee. Rehabilitation guidelines for meniscal repair of root and. Acute traumatic tears occur most frequently in the athletic population as a result of a twisting injury to. If you have knee pain due to a meniscus tear, you may. Fogoros, md, is a retired professor of medicine and boardcertified internal medicine physician and cardiologist. Meniscus rehab exercises the physical therapy advisor. You may do the rest of the exercises when the pain in your knee has decreased. For most tears, some simple exercises can help maintain muscle strength in the front of the thigh quadriceps, back of the thigh hamstr.
Meniscal tears can be treated conservatively or surgically. Knee arthroscopy with meniscus repair rehab protocol. There are two types of cartilage in the knee, articular cartilage and meniscus cartilage. 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. The inclusion criteria were 1 unilateral knee pain for more than 2 months without a history of a significant trauma, 2 a tear in the medial meniscus confirmed by mri, 3 a kellgrenlawrence 28 oa grade of 2 or less, graded with a standing anteriorposterior radiograph of the injured knee held in a fixed, flexed position, using a plexiglas. This can help support your joint and keep excessive. Keep your pelvis level as you lift your hipspelvis and buttocks into the air. Brett sears, pt, mdt, is a physical therapist with over 15 years of experience in orthopedic and hospitalbased therapy. Anterior cruciate ligament acl and meniscus repair rehabilitation protocol general notes. Nov 16, 2016 introduction to meniscus tear rehabilitation exercises. Articular cartilage is made up of collagen, proteoglycans and water and lines the end of the bones that meet to form a joint.
It is important to begin working on range of motion right after surgery as this will help in your overall recovery. A meniscus tear can cause varied complications in a person and lead to a whole lot of pain. Physical therapy if you just found out that the pain and swelling in your knee is a torn meniscus, you probably have a decision to make about how to treat it. A meniscus repair involves suturing the torn edges of the meniscus back into place and letting the meniscus mend itself. Mobility or range of motion exercises which can be used in the early stages of a rehab program for a medial cartilage meniscus. A medial meniscus tear is more common than a lateral meniscus tear because it firmly attaches to the deep medial collateral ligament and the joint capsule. Your pt may prescribe specific exercises to strengthen the muscles around your knee. You move on to stretches that keep your leg muscles loose. Rehabilitation guidelines for meniscal repair of root and complex tears there are two types of cartilage in the knee. Physical therapy for a knee meniscus tear verywell health. Torn meniscus exercises the good, the bad, the ugly oh. As tolerated should be understood to include with safety for the reconstructionrepair.
Athletes, particularly those who play contact sports, are at risk for meniscus tears. Meniscus repair rehabilitation program gundersen health system. These will be all the required exercises needed until you are seen by your physical therapist in the of. Also, the medial meniscus absorbs up to 50% of the shock of the medial compartment.
Our medial meniscus rehabilitation program explains this in more detail. To avoid placing stress on the meniscus repair, do not bend. Between 2 and 3 weeks postinjury the aim of phase 3 of a meniscus tear rehabilitation program is to ensure full range of movement in the knee, regain normal strength with the ability to perform a full squat and start to return to running and normal training. Another variation is to perform this with your toes straight into the air.
Meniscal tears can occur when the knee is forcefully twisted, sustains a direct. The classic double posterior cruciate ligament pcl sign is the pathognomonic mri. 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. You have both an inner medial and outer lateral meniscus that help distribute the forces in the knee when you are weightbearing. 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. 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. Bridge exercise with an exercise band around your knees.
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