jospt perspectives for patients

Optimizing Recovery After Knee

Meniscal or Cartilage Injury
Guidelines Help Deliver Quality Care
J Orthop Sports Phys Ther 2018;48(2):125. doi:10.2519/jospt.2018.0504

A
n injury to your knee meniscus or joint cartilage
can happen when you move suddenly or repeatedly
move the wrong way. If you have such an injury,
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tions based on best practices from recent published literature
for the evaluation, diagnosis, treatment, and determination of
patient readiness to return to activities following knee menis-

you may feel knee pain and have limited motion.
Physical therapists can ensure that you and others
with these injuries receive quality care to optimize recovery.
The goal of revised clinical practice guidelines published in
the February 2018 issue of the JOSPT is to make recommenda-
Copyright © 2018 Journal of Orthopaedic & Sports Physical Therapy®. All rights reserved.
cus or joint cartilage injury. Based on scientific research, these
guidelines summarize the treatment options currently avail-
able. Ultimately, the best care is a combination of the leading
science, the clinical expertise of your health care provider, and
your input as the patient.

NEW INSIGHTS
B
Expert clinicians and researchers reviewed research
published from 2008 to 2016 to update the guidelines,
which were first published in 2010. The authors
screened 7692 articles and closely examined 88 of
the best ones on this topic. They focused on finding
the best existing evidence for diagnosis/classification,
differential diagnosis, examination, and treatment
options to decrease pain, improve mobility and
function, and return you to activities after surgery for
a knee meniscal or articular cartilage injury.
Journal of Orthopaedic & Sports Physical Therapy®

PRACTICAL ADVICE
Protected weight bearing, early movement, and
supervised rehabilitation—including therapeutic
exercise and neuromuscular stimulation—offer the
strongest evidence for patient improvement. Your
recovery should include in-clinic treatment and
exercises at home. You will use crutches to allow you
to walk while enabling the injury or surgical site to
heal. You may need crutches for up to 8 weeks.
Early in your recovery, you will be guided to improve
A C your range of motion to reduce joint pain and fully
CRUTCHES AND EXERCISE. If you have a meniscal or cartilage injury to your knee and need surgery, your recovery straighten your knee. Ice may help decrease swelling
will often require crutches or a similar tool to help you walk. Crutches will allow you to walk while permitting the and pain. Exercises to increase knee and hip muscle
injury or surgical site to heal (A). Your physical therapist will talk with you about how much pressure to place on your strength will be added over time.
leg while on crutches. You will also start exercises to help improve your knee’s mobility and strength (B and C). The evidence suggests that neuromuscular stimulation
This JOSPT Perspectives for Patients is based on an article by Logerstedt et al, titled “Knee Pain and Mobility may also help improve strength and function. These
Impairments: Meniscal and Articular Cartilage Lesions Revision 2018” (J Orthop Sports Phys Ther 2018;48:A1-A50. exercises improve coordination, confidence in
doi:10.2519/jospt.2018.0301). movement, stability, power, and function to help you
return to activities and sport. A conversation between
This Perspectives article was written by a team of JOSPT’s editorial board and staff. Deydre S. Teyhen, PT, PhD, Editor, you and your therapist and surgeon will determine how
and Jeanne Robertson, Illustrator. soon you may return to full activity.

JOSPT PERSPECTIVES FOR PATIENTS is a public service of the Journal of Orthopaedic & Sports Physical Therapy®. The information and recommendations
contained here are a summary of the referenced research article and are not a substitute for seeking proper health care to diagnose and treat this condition.
For more information on the management of this condition, contact your physical therapist or other health care provider specializing in musculoskeletal
disorders. JOSPT Perspectives for Patients may be photocopied noncommercially by physical therapists and other health care providers to share with
patients. The official journal of the Orthopaedic Section and the Sports Physical Therapy Section of the American Physical Therapy Association (APTA) and a
recognized journal of 36 international partners, JOSPT strives to offer high-quality research, immediately applicable clinical material, and useful supplemental
information on musculoskeletal and sports-related health, injury, and rehabilitation. Copyright ©2018 Journal of Orthopaedic & Sports Physical Therapy ®

journal of orthopaedic & sports physical therapy | volume 48 | number 2 | february 2018 | 125