Muscle rehabilitation after arthroscopic meniscectomy with or without tourniquet control. A preliminary randomized...

Nineteen patients with isolated meniscus lesions were randomly assigned to operation with or without tourniquet. All patients underwent arthroscopic meniscectomy. Measurements of CK (creatinin-kinase), CK-B (isoenzymes MB of creatinin-kinase), LD (lactate dehydrogenase), ASAT (aspartate aminotransferase), and ALAT (alanine aminotransferase) were performed preoperatively and postoperatively over 6 days. The muscle torque was measured on a Cybex II isokinetic dynamometer preoperatively, 1 week and 4 weeks postoperatively. The mean CK level rose significantly in both groups, but did not pass the upper normal serum level. There was no effect on the other muscle enzymes. Quadriceps torque was significantly lowered in both groups 1 week after operation. Four weeks postoperatively, it was still lowered in the nontourniquet group, which also had a slower increase in torque between weeks 1 and 4 than the tourniquet groups. There was no effect from the operation on isometric or hamstrings torque. The slight rise in CK was similar to that seen after hard physical exercise. The decrease in muscle torque was, therefore, mostly due to pain inhibition. The slightly slower rehabilitation in the nontourniquet group may be caused by the technique of raising saline flow and pressure during the arthroscopy to control bleeding. This causes extravasation of fluid which may increase postoperative pain and stiffness.