Rehabilitation after Meniscal Repair

Overview

Recovering after a meniscus repair surgery requires time, along with hard work and commitment.
After your child’s meniscus repair surgery, rehabilitation is key to getting back to a normal life. After surgery, your child will continue to meet with your doctor and other specialists, but will work most closely with a physical therapist during rehabilitation. Every child’s rehabilitation process is different, but often your child will meet with the physical therapist several times a week, then be expected to do exercises at home, too. The section below gives you a better understanding of the rehabilitation process. It’s important to work closely with your child’s specialists and physical therapist to ensure that rehabilitation is going as planned so your child can safely return to their normal activities.

Download Dr. Bowen’s PT Protocol

0-2 Weeks

During the first 2 weeks after surgery, your child’s care team will help you move forward in rehabilitation in the following ways:

• Control pain, inflammation and effusion
• Independent in HEP
• Ambulate without assistive device in extension brace
• Brace locked at 0 WBAT

Strength Exercises

• Quad sets
• SLR
• Prone hip extension
• Side lying hip abduction
• Stool laps
• Calf raises

Range of Motion Exercises

• Passive, 0-90
• Hamstring stretch
• Bike
• Seated assisted heel slides with towel
• Prone hangs to facilitate extension
• Prone flexion with rope to facilitate flexion
• Supine Swiss ball flexion

2-6 Weeks

As your child progresses through their rehabilitation, their goals and exercises will change and progress as well. Here are some things you can expect:

• Control pain, effusion, edema
• FWB with good quad control
• Gain full knee ROM
• Neuromuscular reeducation for quadriceps
• Brace locked at 0 WBAT

Strength Exercises

• Quad sets with biofeedback
• Heel walks / calf raises
• Hip flex / abd / add / ext 4 way SRL’s
• Low resistance bilateral leg press w/ limited ROM (begin week 4)
• Supine Swiss ball curls for hamstrings
• Open chain resisted knee extension
• Open chair hamstring curl
• Balance exercises

Range of Motion Exercises

• PROM, full by end 6-10 weeks
• Bike
• Prone hangs as needed
• Prone flexion to reach goal

6-10 Weeks

At this stage, your child’s physical therapist will begin to take more measurements of range of motion and strength to help understand how your child is progressing and any areas that might need greater focus. Your child’s strength and flexibility are key indicators of a successful recovery at this point in their rehabilitation. Their goals and exercises will include the following:

• Progression of LE strength
• Gain full knee ROM
• D/C brace at 6 weeks

Strength Exercises

• Open chair resisted knee extension
• Open chair hamstring curl
• Balance exercises
• Leg press bilateral with limited ROM gradual progression with resistance level and ROM

Range of Motion Exercises

• PROM, full by end 6-10 weeks
• Bike
• Prone hangs as needed
• Prone flexion to reach goal

10-16 Weeks

Here is what you can expect in the final months of your child’s rehab:

• Improve neuromuscular control
• Progress skill training for sport
• Achieve maximal strength and endurance required for return to sport
• Return to sport after follow up specialist appointment at 4 months and passing scores on Isokinetic / Functional testing

Strength Exercises

• Open chair resisted knee extension
• Open chair hamstring curl
• Balance exercises
• Leg press bilateral and unilateral
• Sports specific exercises
• Begin jogging at week 10
• Plyometrics at week 14
• Functional testing at week 16

Range of Motion Exercises

• Ensure full knee extension

See more information

Orthopedic Rehabilitation

Sports Medicine