Many different factors influence the post-operative meniscal repair rehabilitation outcomes, including type and location of the meniscal tear and repair. Consider taking a more conservative approach to range of motion, weight bearing, and rehab progression with more complex tears, all-inside meniscal repairs, and meniscal transplants.
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What should I do after meniscal repair surgery?
Many different factors influence the post-operative meniscal repair rehabilitation outcomes, including type and location of the meniscal tear and repair. Consider taking a more conservative approach to range of motion, weight bearing, and rehab progression with more complex tears, all-inside meniscal repairs, and meniscal transplants.
What is the meniscal repair post-operative rehabilitation protocol?
Meniscal Repair Post-operative Rehabilitation Protocol. Phase I: Days 1 to 10 Day 1. Brace • Knee immobilizer (used for four weeks), TED hose to be worn until ambulation has returned to normal pre-surgery level or two weeks. Crutches used regularly. Knee Motion. Active Range of Motion: • Ankle pumps • Quadriceps sets
What are the postoperative instructions for knee arthroscopy meniscus root repair?
Following a meniscal repair, typical recommendations are to avoid pivoting, squatting, twisting and deep lunging exercises for at least 4-6 months following surgery. Jogging or running should be avoided for 5-6 months of rehabilitation.
What is the best treatment for meniscus injuries?
After mensical surgery, rehabilitation with a physical therapist or athletic trainer is needed to restore range of motion, strength, movement control and guide the athlete’s return to sport. When the meniscus is repaired there may be a period of restricted knee flexion, especially during weight bearing, to protect the repair sutures and the meniscus. The rehabilitation
How do I rehab my knee after meniscus surgery?
Recovery. Regular exercise to restore strength and mobility to your knee is important for your full recovery after arthroscopic surgery. Your orthopaedic surgeon or physical therapist may recommend that you exercise for approximately 20 to 30 minutes, 2 or 3 times a day.
What exercises should you do after meniscus surgery?
How do I do exercise to heal my meniscus?Quad sets.Straight-leg raise to the front.Straight-leg raise to the back.Hamstring curls.Heel raises.Heel dig bridging.Shallow standing knee bends.
What is the fastest way to recover from meniscus surgery?
You will recover more quickly if you carefully follow all your doctor's instructions. In your first days after surgery, you will need apply ice frequently and elevate your knee above your heart to help relieve swelling. Be sure to get plenty of sleep, to help your body heal.
When should you start rehab after meniscus surgery?
Approximately 4 weeks after surgery, patients typically begin to perform higher level activities during physical therapy visits. With your physical therapist's guidance at 4 to 6 weeks, you will begin the gradual transition back to your sport.
How do I strengthen my knee after surgery?
Standing Knee BendsStanding erect with the aid of a walker or crutches, lift your thigh and bend your knee as much as you can. Hold for 5 to 10 seconds.Straighten your knee, touching the floor with your heel first.Repeat several times until fatigued.This exercise should take 2 minutes.
Will my knee ever be the same after meniscus surgery?
Knee Swelling after Meniscus Surgery Swelling is an indicator of inflammation, which is part of the normal healing process after surgeries such as a meniscus repair. It can sometimes persist for a few weeks following meniscal surgery.Jun 29, 2021
Why is my knee so tight after meniscus surgery?
The fluid in your knee often remains there for at least 4-6 weeks after surgery until your body can reabsorb it. This fluid will make your knee feel tight or stiff, especially with deep knee bending or squatting.
Is walking good after meniscus surgery?
As this healing occurs, patients progress towards bearing weight, increasing their range of motion, and leaving the knee brace behind. How quickly this progress occurs varies by surgeon, but a typical range is 4-8 weeks. Patients are usually out of the brace and walking without crutches around 2-3 months.Oct 10, 2019
What should I avoid after meniscus surgery?
No bending your knee or squatting >90 degrees. the first 7-10 days after your surgery. Avoid long periods of sitting (without your leg elevated) or long distance traveling for 2 weeks.
Why do doctors recommend surgery for meniscus?
Reasons for Undergoing Surgery. When dealing with a meniscus injury of the knee, there could be many reasons for a physician to recommend surgery. From a more general standpoint, the physician will try to take into account ALL factors (pain, quality of life, surgery risk, etc.) in determining whether surgery is of net benefit to you.
How long does it take to heal a meniscus tear?
If you are undergoing surgery for a torn meniscus and the tear is in the vascular zone, it is most likely that you have undergone a course of conservative treatments for at least six weeks - as recommended by your doctor.
How to regain ROM in a leg?
Your doctor or physical therapist will increase your activity level in order to regain full ROM and muscle strength in your leg. You may be able to stop using your crutches at this point if your doctor feels you have healed enough to bear more weight on your leg. It is important, if you are not going to be using the crutches any longer that you focus on walking slowly and normally. Limping should be avoided at all costs, as abnormal walking could result in re-injury of your meniscus or injury to your opposite leg, feet, hip or even your back with overcompensation injury/pain. You should also avoid squatting or pivoting on your injured knee.
How long after meniscus surgery can you go back to work?
Generally you will be able to return to normal activities and sports approximately 6 weeks after a partial meniscectomy and 3-4 months after a meniscal repair or replacement. However, it is always recommended that you get your surgeons approval before beginning any exercises or activities following meniscus surgery.
Why is meniscus surgery rarely performed?
An open meniscus repair surgery is rarely performed because arthroscopic surgical techniques are much less invasive with a quicker rate of recovery and a better outlook for overall healing. If you have had an open knee surgery repair for your meniscus repair, you probably suffered from an acute trauma with an open wound over your knee, or your surgeon started an arthroscopic knee procedure but your injury was worse than he/she had predicted. This change of plans for your surgery is rare and never foreseen.
How long after meniscus surgery can you use T-Shellz Wrap?
Important: Do not start T•Shellz Wrap ® treatments until the surgical skin wound has healed over and inflammation has reduced in the area (generally 2 to 6 weeks after surgery) The type of surgery you will have depends on the type of meniscus injury you are faced with .
What is the first step in recovery after knee surgery?
Phase 1 , Initial Recovery after Surgery. The main goals during this stage are to protect the meniscus repair, control pain and swelling, and encourage maximum healing potential. Right after surgery your knee will be wrapped with a bandage to protect the small key-hole incisions made in the skin.
How to straighten knees?
Lie on your back with the knee extended fully straight. Tighten and hold the front thigh muscle making the knee flat and straight. If done correctly, the kneecap will slide slightly upward toward the thigh muscle. The tightening action of the quadriceps should make your knee straighten and be pushed flat against the bed or floor.
How to increase knee flexion?
Utilize a stationary bicycle to move the knee joint and increase knee flexion. If you cannot pedal all the way around, then keep the foot of your operated leg on the pedal, and pedal back and forth until your knee will bend far enough to allow a full cycle. Most people are able to achieve a full cycle revolution backwards first, followed by forward. You may ride the cycle with no resistance for 10 to 20 minutes a day. Set the seat height so that when you are sitting on the bicycle seat, your knee is fully extended with the heel resting on the pedal in the fully bottom position. You should then ride the bicycle with your forefoot resting on the pedal.
How to get rid of a swollen knee?
Stand facing a wall, hands on the wall for support and balance. Keep the knees extended fully. Tighten the quadriceps to hold the knee fully straight. Raise up on ‘tip-toes’ while maintaining the knees in full extension. Hold for one second, then lower slowly to the starting position. Repeat 20 times.
How to build strength with ankle weights?
If the straight leg lift, short arc lift and side leg lift can be performed easily after the first week, then an ankle weight may be used to increase the resistance of the exercise and to build strength. Start with one pound and add one pound per week until you reach five pounds. Do the exercises daily for the first week, then decrease to every other day when using ankle weights.
How to prevent phlebitis in the ankle?
Wear an elastic stocking (TED) below the knee when out of bed until your first post-operativeoffice visit. Do at least 10 ankle pump exercises each hour to help prevent phlebitis (blood clots in the veins).
Can you walk with crutches?
Unless otherwise instructed by Dr. Gill, use crutches when walking and bear weightas tolerated on the operated leg. Wear the post-operative brace for walking. Lock the brace with the knee fully straight when walking to protect the knee in case of a fall . You can unlock the brace to sit or move the knee when not walking. When walking with the crutches, follow the instructions below:
How to repair a meniscus tear?
Reznik performs as an outpatient. It is often done under a light anesthetic with a local injection for post operative comfort. When the tear is repaired, Dr Reznik uses the arthroscope to place tiny sutures or stitches to fix the tear. Of the tears below the ones nearest the outer edge are more often repaired, depending on the overall condition of the cartilage. That is where the blood supply is best and the cartilage has the best chance of healing (the first, second and fourth images below). Radial tears (image eight below) can be repaired on rare occasions.
How long after meniscus repair can you squat?
It is vital that meniscus repair patients do not squat for at least four months after the repair.
How long does it take for a knee immobilizer to be removed?
It is to be removed only for physical therapy directed exercises and showers. Note: Patients should not flex the knee past 90 degrees for the first 3 weeks even if you therapist says it is okay. After 3 weeks, you will change from the immobilizer to a knee hinged brace.
How to clear lungs after anesthesia?
Deep Breathing: Be sure to regularly take a deep breath and blow it out. This helps to clear the lungs after anesthesia. Knee Immobilizer: Meniscal Repair patients are to wear the knee immobilizer full time for the first 3 weeks to protect the repair for the first phase of healing. This includes while you are sleeping.
Why do meniscus tears occur?
Tears in the meniscus usually occur as a result of a forceful twisting injury or with hyperflexion of the knee. In younger age groups, meniscal tears are more likely to be caused by a sports injury. In more mature individuals, it can occur with squatting down, twisting or a fall. In older individuals, the meniscus can be weaker and easier to tear.
What happens if you leave your meniscus on your knee?
Left alone, over time the locking and/or constant rubbing of the torn meniscus on the articular cartilage will cause damage or degeneration of the knee joint. As a result, the knee may also become swollen, stiff and tight.
What are the medial and lateral meniscal cartilages?
The Medial and Lateral meniscal cartilages are gasket like cushions in the knee. Positioned between the femur and tibia, they distribute the weight transferred from the larger femur above to the smaller tibia below. The Menisci also help with the stability of the knee joint.
