Publicly Available Rehabilitation Protocols Designated for Meniscal Repairs Are Highly Variable
Seth L Carder1, William G Messamore1, David R Scheffer1
1University of Kansas Medical Center, Kansas City, Kansas, U.S.A.
Arthroscopy, Sports Medicine, and Rehabilitation
|May 24, 2021
Summary
Publicly available meniscus repair rehabilitation protocols show significant variability. Protocols for radial tears generally involve longer recovery times and bracing compared to nonradial tears.
Area of Science:
- Orthopaedic Surgery
- Sports Medicine
- Rehabilitation Science
Background:
- Meniscal repair rehabilitation protocols are crucial for patient recovery.
- Variability in these protocols may impact patient outcomes.
- Publicly available protocols offer insight into current practices.
Purpose of the Study:
- To compare online rehabilitation protocols for meniscal repairs.
- To identify variability in protocols based on tear type (radial vs. nonradial).
Main Methods:
- Searched academic and private practice programs for published meniscus repair rehabilitation protocols.
- Included 59 protocols in the analysis.
- Compared rehabilitation timelines for radial and nonradial tears.
Main Results:
- Only 10.2% of protocols specified different approaches for radial tears.
- Radial tear protocols averaged longer durations for range of motion, weight-bearing, bracing, and return to sport.
- Significant variability was observed across all rehabilitation components.
Conclusions:
- Publicly available meniscus repair protocols exhibit considerable variation.
- Protocols for radial tears tend to be more conservative.
- Further research is needed to develop standardized, tear-type-specific rehabilitation protocols.
