ACL and meniscus rehab

Ask a PT

156 Posts
 
Posted - 09/12/2006 :  16:02:41  Show Profile  Reply with Quote
Our user asked: "Hi, Scott (Biker) told me about your site not too long ago, and I have some questions. I'm going to have surgery in Russia next week for a torn ACL and meniscus. The way it sounds rehab (in a clinic with machines)will start is about 2 weeks after the surgery. Is this normal? Is there anything I can do while i'm lying in bed, or on crutches to help? Can you give me a sample timeline of excercises or stretches to do? Thanks!"

Ask a PT Response: "Participation in rehab 2 weeks after the surgery is normal but varies depending on the surgeon. An ACL and meniscus surgery can vary. If you undergo an ACL repair with just debridement of the meniscus than your recovery will be alot faster as you will be able to bear weight as tolerated after surgery. However, if you were to undergo an ACL and meniscus repair you will not be able to bear weight until anywhere from 6-8 weeks after surgery as you don't want to compromise the repair of the meniscus (meniscus are like shock absorbers for your knee and also allow congruency for the femur to rest on the tibia). This precaution will vary by surgeon and his/her surgery performed and where tissue is obtained ie. autograft (from other parts of your body such as your patella tendon or hamstring tendon) or allograft (tissue from a cadevear). As far as recovery goes, during the first two weeks after surgery for ACL repair & meniscus debridement, you could perform exercises such as quad sets, ham sets, short arch quads, ankle pumps, heel slides and straight leg raises (see videos). I would recommend you clear this with your surgeon first prior to performing any type of self treatment. I would also recommend that you ice for 10-15 min 2-3 x's a day to help control the swelling. As far as timeline goes, please look under the PT Classroom section of the CyberPT site under sample protocols and click under ACL reconstruction and you should get a general idea. I hope this answers your questions. Please feel free to contact us should you have additional questions."