Rehabilitation after cell transplantation for cartilage defects

Rehabilitation is a key element of successful treatment of cartilage defects with cell transplantation. The process of graft maturation takes approximately 18 months and cannot be accelerated, but requires carefully introduced steps leading to early recovery of joint function. Rehabilitation starts at 8 hours after surgery with the continuous passive motion (CPM) exercises and physiotherapy. For the first 6 weeks, patients continue with CPM in the range of 0 degrees to 45 degrees for femoral and tibial defects and 0 degrees to 30 degrees for patellofemoral joint reconstruction. Isometric muscle training and scar manual therapy are introduced. Patients are allowed to weight-bear as tolerated from the second week after surgery. After this initial phase, from 6 to 8 weeks after surgery, rehabilitation is accelerated with increased load-bearing and progressive range of motion to full flexion. Usually patients are able to walk without crutches in this time. Proprioceptive training is introduced with the advance of pain-free full range of motion and no discomfort with full weight-bearing. At 6 months after surgery, most patients recover joint function, making it possible for them to return to daily living activities. However, they need to continue with muscle, proprioceptive, and sports-specific rehabilitation exercises. The rehabilitation process is complicated, requiring close cooperation between the patient and surgeon-physiotherapist team to understand the symptoms and address them in a timely fashion.