Here we outline some exercises for a torn meniscus injury. This concept is useful during rehabilitation of the repaired meniscus. Do this exercise if you are unable to extend your knee fully. Meniscal tears can occur when the knee is forcefully twisted, sustains a direct blow. Meniscus tears are among the most common knee injuries. 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. 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. Torn meniscus exercises the good, the bad, the ugly oh. A tear in this red zone may heal on its own, or can often be repaired with surgery.
A meniscus tear can cause varied complications in a person and lead to a whole lot of pain. Work with your doctor to plan a rehabilitation rehab program that helps you regain as much strength and. 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. Suggestions for some daily stretches to start with at home. Torn knee meniscus exercises mobility, strengthening. If you have questions, contact the referring physician. This page will explore how and what happens when the menisci become injured a tear and or a rupture. Talk to your doctor or physical therapist about which exercises will best help you meet your rehabilitation goals. Her doctor had discovered a meniscus tear in her right knee, but didnt want to do surgery until after the baby was born. Articular cartilage is made up of collagen, proteoglycans and water which lines the end of the bones that meet to form a joint. 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. An mri may be used to assist in making the diagnosis. Keep your pelvis level as you lift your hipspelvis and buttocks into the air.
This exercise both strengthens the quadriceps and stretches the hamstrings, or the muscles that run up the backs of your thighs. Physical therapy pt and exercises for a meniscus tear rehab. Pool rehab instead of knee surgery completept pool. People who are middleaged or have osteoarthritis often tear the meniscus simply because its worn down. Meniscus tear rehabilitation and exercises whatever the form of meniscus treatment, rehab is must for a patient to fully recover from the meniscal tear. Department of rehabilitation services physical therapy standard of care. Quadriceps strengthening, making sure that closed chain exercises occur. Exercises usually begin with mobility and isometric static.
Work with your doctor to plan a rehabilitation rehab program that helps you regain as much strength and flexibility in your knee as possible. Meniscus rehab exercises the physical therapy advisor. Meniscus tear rehab best exercises best exercises to strengthen your legs after a menisectomy. Also great exercises to do if you have a meniscus tear. The knee has two menisci, one on the outer edge of the knee and one on the inner edge.
Meniscus repair rehabilitation program gundersen health system. Torn meniscus exercises the good, the bad, the ugly meniscus tear exercises, what to do and what to avoid, especially at the gym. 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. Be sure to rotate your leg outward laterally slightly to gain a better activation of the medial inner side of the quadriceps. 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. A torn meniscus can prevent your knee from working correctly. Rehabilitation guidelines for meniscal repair uw health.
Sep 17, 2018 meniscus tear rehab best exercises best exercises to strengthen your legs after a menisectomy. When and where you start rehabilitation will depend on whether you have had surgery or not. Displaced lateral meniscus tear into the popliteal hiatus can be seen as a characteristic double popliteal sign in mri as the displaced meniscus flap runs on the tibial surface. The resumption of sport training is allowed when quadriceps muscle strength is at least 80% in the operated limb compared to the contralateral limb. Our medial meniscus rehabilitation program explains this in more detail. After an injury or surgery, an exercise conditioning program will help you return.
A 12week exercise therapy program in middleaged patients. Why it is done a decision to remove all or part of your meniscus will take into consideration the location, length, tear pattern, and stability of the tear as well as the condition of the whole meniscus. Quad isometrics, hs isometrics if posterior horn repair, no hs exercises until 6. Find out when it helps, what to expect, and how long. Meniscal tears are the most common lesions followed by the meniscal cyst. Physical therapy exercises for a knee meniscus tear. Common tears include longitudinal, parrotbeak, flap, bucket handle, and mixedcomplex. When the meniscus root is repaired there will be a prolonged.
While lying on your back, place a rolledup towel under the heel of your. This booklet gives information on the different types of meniscus problems, the evidencebased management options, and how physiotherapy can help. Knee arthroscopy exercise guide regular exercise to restore strength and mobility to your knee is important for your full recovery after arthroscopic surgery. An injury can cause altered biomechanics of the knee joint and pain. Often times these tears can be diagnosed by taking a thorough history and completing a physical examination. Meniscal cartilage tear exercises summit medical group. No active hamstring exercises electrical stimulation in full extension with quad sets and slr. The gundersen sports medicine meniscus repair rehabilitation program is an.
A torn meniscus is a painful but treatable knee injury that occurs when the knee is turned with force while also bearing significant weight. Specific intervention should be based on the needs of the individual and should consider exam findings and clinical decision making. Bridge exercise with an exercise band around your knees. Meniscus tear rehabilitation exercises health hearty. Also great exercises to do if you have a meniscus tear and want to strengthen your legs in general. For most tears, some simple exercises can help maintain muscle strength in the front of the thigh quadriceps, back of the thigh hamstr. Your physiotherapist has diagnosed you with a degenerative meniscal tear.
Gallandkirby acl reconstruction with meniscus repair postsurgical rehabilitation protocol postop days 1 14 dressing. 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 orthopaedic surgeon or physical therapist may recommend that you exercise for approximately 20 to 30 minutes, 2 or 3 times a day. 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. Exercise is a viable treatment alternative to arthroscopic partial meniscectomy in patients with degenerative meniscus tears. If you have a knee meniscus tear, you may benefit from a physical therapy exercise program to rehabilitate your knee. Torn meniscus exercises the good, the bad, the ugly oh my. Postoperative instructions knee arthroscopy meniscus root. The medial and lateral menisci play an important role in absorbing force and assisting in the role of nourishing the knee joint. To ensure that this program is safe and effective for you, it should be performed under your doctors supervision. Manual stretching for extension with overpressure or recurvatum. Jan 21, 20 he highlights the importance of walking with crutches in a longleg brace for about 6 weeks after meniscal transplant and complex meniscus repairs extending into central onethird region but not routinely after repair of a peripheral meniscus tear. Rehabilitation guidelines for meniscal repair of root and.
Beneficial and repairing knee strengthening exercises for a. You have both an inner medial and outer lateral meniscus that help distribute the forces in the knee when you are weightbearing. Meniscal cartilage tear exercises you may do the first 5 exercises right away. Cryotherapy ice six to eight times per for 15 to 20 minutes each time, dependant on swelling. As tolerated should be understood to include with safety for the reconstructionrepair. The repaired meniscus would benefit from weight bearing forces to compress and. Using therapeutic exercises, a rehabilitation program can be created for athletes who do not wish to pursue surgery. Athletes, particularly those who play contact sports, are at risk for meniscus tears. Often seen in sports and other physical activities, the injury is a tear of the cartilage in the knee rather than the ligaments themselves. While lying on your back, place a rolledup towel under the heel of your injured leg so the heel is.
Rehabilitation protocol for meniscal repair rehabilitation guidelines. Therapeutic exercises o quadhamstring sets, heel slides, straight leg raises, cocontractions. If you have any questions, please speak to your physiotherapist. Oct 08, 2017 famous physical therapists bob schrupp and brad heineck demonstrate the top 7 exercises to be performed after a meniscus tear. This blood supply is necessary for a tear or a repair to heal.
Nov 16, 2016 introduction to meniscus tear rehabilitation exercises. Place an exercise band around your thighs above your knees. 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. 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. Physical therapy exercises in the clinic, and as part of a home exercise program, can help you recover fully from your meniscus injury.
Famous physical therapists bob schrupp and brad heineck demonstrate the top 7 exercises to be performed after a meniscus tear. Most surgeons can like nonweight bearing for 4 to 8 weeks to permit the meniscus to heal before starting weightbearing exercises. Introduction to meniscus tear rehabilitation exercises. No study has reported in detail the type of exercises, progression, tolerance, and potential benefit from an exercise therapy program in these patients who have not had surgery.
Antonio f, raffaello f, erika g, costanza f, patrizia p. 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. Knee rehabilitation exercises to ensure that this program is safe and effective for you, it should be performed under your doctors supervision. For most tears, some simple exercises can help maintain muscle strength in the front of the thigh quadriceps, back. The meniscus is a rubbery, cshaped disc that cushions your knee. The decision by the surgeon to repair or remove is based primarily on the location of the meniscal tear. Sports injury medicine department 9250 sw hall blvd. When people talk about torn cartilage in the knee, they are usually referring to a torn meniscus. Anterior cruciate ligament acl and meniscus repair. Rehabilitation exercises a meniscus tear is a common knee joint injury.
Physical therapy pt can be useful for a torn meniscus whether or not you have surgery. Rest and elevate the knee when not doing your rehabilitation exercises. The treatment chosen will depend on the location of the tear, the athletes sport, ligamentous stability of the. Physiotherapy rehabilitation should concentrate on the early mobilization of the knee tibiofemoral and kneecap patellofemoral joints, and strengthening of your quad, hamstrings, and leg.
Rehabilitation after a meniscus repair is typically different from a resection because of the healing time needed where a meniscus has been stitched. Evidence based management of meniscal tears kenneth g. The outer onethird of the meniscus has a rich blood supply. Work with your doctor to plan a rehabilitation rehab program that helps you regain as much strength. The treatment plan was designed for a soccer player who had a partially torn meniscus. Anterior cruciate ligament acl and meniscus repair rehabilitation protocol transitional therapy a strength and. Rehabilitation protocol for meniscus repair this protocol is intended to guide clinicians and patients through the postoperative course for a meniscus repair. Symptoms of an acute meniscus tear include swelling, pain along the joint line, catching, locking and a specific injury. No study has reported in detail the type of exercises, progression, tolerance, and potential benefit from an exercise therapy program in.