First of all, I thank you for your trust and hope I can bring you a better joint than after the injury, but the surgery is only the beginning of the treatment, after that a long term rehabilitation is needed. Because the meniscus suture is as good as the surgeon can make it, his ability to grow well still needs your protection. The success rate of meniscal sutures is around 80% for patients who follow a strict rehabilitation program, so hopefully you will not be one of the 20%.
Notes on meniscus suture rehabilitation training
1. Start gradually
Exercise is a gradual process. As your muscle strength increases, you can gradually increase the number of sets and the amount of exercise.
2.Avoid pain
You will feel “pain” during exercise because you are challenging your muscles, but you should not feel very painful. What degree is very pain, is that you stop exercise rest 15-30 minutes still feel pain indicates excessive, your next exercise should let yourself exercise degree and pain degree is reduced.
3. Avoid overdoing it
After exercise you will feel muscle pain and tension, this is normal, but generally rest can be significantly relieved. If you can not relieve after rest, you may have exercised too much, the best way is to let the muscles fully rest.
4, adequate preparation
In the time of flexion and extension exercise, the conditions should be prepared for the heat and ice packs. Exercise before the full hot compress, about 10 minutes, appropriate massage, so that the muscle warm-up well; exercise after the ice, generally 15-30 minutes, so that the exercise caused by pain and inflammatory response to a minimum.
5, muscle exercise and mobility exercise distinction
Muscle workout in the tolerable range is the more the better, the stronger the muscles, the more stable the joints. The basic goal should be the same circumference of both thighs, preferably stronger than the healthy side of the thigh.
Mobility exercise is in place can be, do not need to repeat the exercise, exercise once or twice a day to achieve the effective goal can be, too much exercise will cause joint swelling, pain can not tolerate and affect the next exercise.
6.Support adjustment principle
(1) The first two weeks after surgery, the extension position is fixed, for middle-aged and elderly patients, in order to avoid joint stiffness, it will be set to 0-30 degrees, but only when in bed, once out of bed, it should be adjusted to 0 degrees.
(2) It is adjusted directly to 0-30 degrees in the 3rd week and increased by 15-30 degrees every week thereafter.
There are two types of braces in our hospital, one is 15 degrees for one frame and the other is 10 degrees for one frame. I personally prefer the former type of brace, if you use the latter type of brace, please adjust the increase of one or two frames according to your exercise condition.
(3) The knee should not be flexed more than 90 degrees for 6 weeks after surgery to avoid excessive tension on the sutures, which may lead to re-rupture of the meniscus.
(4) Do not flex the knee more than 120 degrees for 8 weeks after surgery to avoid excessive tension on the sutures, which may lead to re-rupture of the meniscus.
(5) Active squatting on the toilet should not be allowed until 4 months after surgery; acute steering and rotational movements around the axis should not be allowed until 6 months after surgery.
(6) As for the weight bearing on the ground, try to reduce it in the first two weeks, but you can go down to the ground if you really need to go to the toilet, but you need to pay the crutches + toes on the ground, not full weight bearing. This is the best way to ensure the meniscus healing. In the 3rd-4th week, you can gradually return to full weight bearing, but you should reduce the mobility of the brace by one position. If your brace mobility is 0-30 degrees at week 3, reduce it by one gear, i.e. 0-15 degrees, when you go down.
(7) It is recommended not to over-exercise, too much is too little, but not too conservative, otherwise it is easy to joint stiffness, especially for people over 45 years old.
7.Consult the professionals
If you feel pain after exercise or do not know the magnitude and frequency of exercise, please consult me immediately.