Why post-arthroscopic rehabilitation and regular follow-up are important

  Many patients are often left with joint adhesions or stiffness due to the lack of timely and correct post-operative rehabilitation guidance and treatment, resulting in functional impairment and lifelong inconvenience and pain.  Functional exercise after arthroscopy starts on the day of surgery and usually returns to the outpatient clinic for follow-up 4 weeks after surgery, why 4-6 weeks? Because at this stage the patient should be working closely with rehabilitation. But unfortunately, this optimal time is basically spent by patients at home. Due to the lack of professional guidance, the fact that the patient is not a professional, and the influence of traditional Chinese culture that “it takes 100 days to break a bone”, most patients take a resting and basically immobile approach. After 4 weeks, there will be varying degrees of loss of mobility and joint adhesions in the limb joints at the time of follow-up, so this phase of follow-up will help correct the patient’s wrong rehabilitation.  The “golden period” for postoperative rehabilitation is usually 3 months after surgery, when regular monthly follow-up is required, because of the initial healing of the damaged tissues on the one hand, and the significant rehabilitation effect at this time on the other. Again, unfortunately, most patients still do not receive professional treatment for rehabilitation because they lack the common sense to do so. The joint stiffness and muscle weakness that occur during this period are still easily corrected.  The late stage does not mean that there is nothing that can be done. Rehabilitation is still effective during this period, but it takes more time and effort to fight against joint adhesions and stiffness, and the treatment is much more complicated than before. The final effort. After 3 months of intensive rehabilitation, there was still a chance to save the lost joint function to the greatest extent possible.  Patients seeking rehabilitation six months after surgery usually need to undergo minimally invasive or open release surgery, and then receive rehabilitation after surgery, because the joint contracture has already been set, conservative treatment is almost ineffective, and it is not worth spending more time and energy, direct surgical release is more effective, of course, postoperative rehabilitation needs to be followed up in a timely manner, otherwise the postoperative function may be worse than the preoperative function.  It is generally recommended to routinely come for a follow-up visit 2-4 weeks after surgery. Once functional limitation occurs, receive timely professional rehabilitation treatment. It is best not to miss the “golden period” of 3 months after surgery, but to come for treatment at least 6 months after surgery, otherwise there will be no way back.