Static quads sit on the floor with your legs straight out in front of you. Diagnosis and management of meniscal injury jacob babu, md, mha. Be sure to keep your knee straight the entire time. If you have any questions, please speak to your physiotherapist. Remember to check out this great exercise video for torn meniscus exercises, and you can also read more articles about meniscus injuries. A meniscus tear is a common knee injury that often affects people who play contact sports.
Do this exercise if you are unable to extend your knee. Avoid using stairstepper machines, doing deep knee bends and squats. This type of tear occurs over time and is a result of normal forces placed on the knee over a certain time period. The best exercises after meniscus surgery phyiscal. Partial meniscectomy aims to remove only the torn piece of meniscus while retaining as much normal meniscus especially in the peripheral rim which is mostly.
Meniscus tear exercises, treatment and exercises options. Pain in the knee swelling a popping sensation during the. Of course, as part of the overall treatment program, utilize ice therapy to help minimize localized pain and. Exercises for osteoarthritis of the knee what does a meniscus tear feel like. They may also prescribe physical therapy and antiinflammatory. Rest and elevate the knee when not doing your rehabilitation exercises. For most tears, some simple exercises can help maintain muscle strength in the front of the thigh quadriceps, back of the thigh hamstr.
Meniscus tear exercises in pdf exercise, periodic table. Lie on your back with your injured knee out straight and your other knee bent. Meniscus tear treatment kt tape knee ligament tear torn meniscus exercises knee meniscus knee strengthening exercises acl tear recovery acl surgery recovery quad exercises. Your physiotherapist has diagnosed you with a degenerative meniscal tear. For most tears, some simple exercises can help maintain muscle strength in the front of the thigh quadriceps, back of. Meniscus tears are a special risk for older athletes since the meniscus weakens with age. Work with your doctor to plan a rehabilitation rehab program that helps you regain as much strength and flexibility in your knee as possible. Here we outline some exercises for a torn meniscus injury. Do the exercises daily for the first week, then decrease to every other day when using ankle weights. You may do the rest of the exercises when the pain in your knee has decreased. Com meniscal cartilage tear top view femur thighbone tibia shinbone medical meniscus front view of knee lateral meniscus torn what are the symptoms. Posterior chain extensibility exercises if indicated. Rehabilitation guidelines for meniscal repair of root and.
Work with your doctor to plan a rehabilitation rehab program that helps you regain as much strength and. Tears are noted by how they look, as well as where the tear occurs in the meniscus. When an unstable fragment from a buckethandle tear moves into the intracondlar notch it blocks full extension of the knee joint. Famous physical therapists bob schrupp and brad heineck demonstrate the top 7 exercises to be performed after a meniscus tear. It can also be caused by wear and tear and doing everyday activities.
To ensure that this program is safe and effective for you, it should be performed under your doctors supervision. How well the knee will heal and whether surgery will be needed depends in large part on the type. 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. Here we outline some rehabilitation exercises which may form part of a meniscus injury rehabilitation program. How to do a meniscus tear test, which exercises you have to do and what the recovery time is. The following exercises are aimed at regaining strength and normal movement in the knee joint following an injury.
The decision by the surgeon to repair or remove is based primarily on the location of the meniscal tear. If your torn meniscus was trimmedremoved called a partial meniscectomy, which is much more common, you may do all the above exercises and progress your range of motion and activity slowly. Physical therapy exercises in the clinic, and as part of a home exercise program, can help you recover fully from your meniscus injury. Root tears are repaired whenever possible based on their importance in limiting future knee. Rehabilitation exercises appendix topic images meniscus tears quad sets straightleg raise to the front straightleg raise to the back hamstring curls heel raises heel dig bridging shallow standing knee bends. Push the back of your knee down into the floor using your thigh muscles. Meniscus tears are among the most common knee injuries.
Evidence based management of meniscal tears kenneth g. Tighten your quad muscle on your straight leg, and raise the leg up about 12 to 15 inches. Torn knee meniscus exercises include mobility, stretching, strengthening and sports specific exercises. Develop strength and flexibility in your knee and legs may further prevent future degeneration in your knee. Pain and swelling are the most common signs of an injury to your meniscus. Meniscal cartilage tear exercises you may do the first 5 exercises right away.
Torn knee meniscus exercises mobility, strengthening. A meniscus tear can also be from a traumatic injury such as twisting during sports or a degenerative which is a tear from general wear and tear. Talk to your doctor or physical therapist about which exercises will best help you meet your rehabilitation goals. Rehabilitation guidelines for meniscal repair uw health. 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. Torn meniscus exercises the good, the bad, the ugly oh.
These meniscus tear stretches and exercises should help if youve had a meniscal tear. If your torn meniscus was repaired with suture, you will be wearing a. When people talk about torn cartilage in the knee, they are usually referring to a torn meniscus. Meniscus tears will not show up on xrays so your physician may also order a mri of the knee. Sports injury medicine department 9250 sw hall blvd. There have been multiple studies that have demonstrated the clinical success of meniscal repair.
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. Athletes, particularly those who play contact sports, are at risk for meniscus tears. Physical therapy exercises for a knee meniscus tear. Plus, research studies have shown that physical therapy and exercise can help you avoid surgery if you have a meniscus tear. Meniscus tears can occur from an injury or wear and tear on the joint over time. Those that are caused by an injury are often the ones that can be treated with surgery. Meniscus rehab exercises the physical therapy advisor. The treatment chosen will depend on the location of the tear, the athletes sport, ligamentous stability of the. Vertical tears longitudinal tears are most often traumatic. Common tears include longitudinal, parrotbeak, flap, bucket handle, and mixedcomplex. Do this exercise if you are unable to extend your knee fully.
The success of meniscus repair depends on tear pattern recognition and location for the capacity to heal. Treatment for this condition usually follows one of two routes. Physical therapy pt can be useful for a torn meniscus whether or not you have surgery. Whats best for you depends on what the tear s like. We have remained at the forefront of medicine by fostering a culture of collaboration, pushing the boundaries of medical research, educating the brightest medical minds and maintaining an unwavering commitment to the diverse communities we serve. This booklet gives information on the different types of meniscus problems, the evidencebased management options, and how physiotherapy can help. Meniscus tears quad sets straightleg raise to the front straightleg raise to the back hamstring curls heel raises heel dig bridging shallow standing knee bends meniscus tear. Remember you can join my free sports injury support facebook group if you have any questions meniscus tears in the knee is an extremely common injury in the sporting as well as nonsporting community. Physical therapy pt and exercises for a meniscus tear rehab.
You may ride the stationary bicycle daily for 10 to 20 minutes. State of the art of rehabilitation protocols related to surgical procedures article pdf available in muscles 24. Be sure to rotate your leg outward laterally slightly to gain a better activation of the medial inner side of the quadriceps. In this stage, weightbearing and more difficult exercises may be either not advised or too difficult. Hold your straight leg up for a few seconds, and then. This exercise is used to prevent quadriceps muscles from wasting away in the early stages of injury. After an injury or surgery, an exercise conditioning program will help you return. Learn how to do meniscus tear treatment without surgery. Rehabilitation exercises a meniscus tear is a common knee joint injury. 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. A significant number of people have meniscus tears with no knee pain, so simply having a meniscus tear does not mean you need surgery.
Earlystage lateral meniscus tear strengthening exercises static quadriceps contractions. The outer onethird of the meniscus has a rich blood supply. Postoperative instructions for knee arthroscopy, torn meniscus. Quadriceps strengthening, making sure that closed chain exercises occur. A knee meniscus tear can be managed with following some general exercise guidelines. When you tear your meniscus, your knee becomes unstable. Interventions therapeutic exercises 2018 recommendation b clinicians should provide supervised, progressive rangeofmotion exercises, progressive strength training of the knee and hip muscles, and neuromuscular training to patients with knee meniscus tears and articular cartilage lesions and after meniscus or articular cartilage surgery. When and where you start rehabilitation will depend on whether you have. Find out when it helps, what to expect, and how long. The following exercises for meniscal tears assist you to strengthen your lower limb muscles. Physical therapy for a knee meniscus tear verywell. Physical therapy and home exercises can advance healing in your knee and help you return to desired activities.