Clin Orthop Relat Res 2021 Mar 16. Epub 2021 Mar 16.
G. Hoit, J. Chahal, B. Ravi, D. B. Whelan, Department of Surgery, Division of Orthopaedics, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON, Canada.
Background: Multiligament knee injuries, though rare, can be profoundly disabling. Surgeons disagree about when to initiate rehabilitation after surgical reconstruction due to the conflicting priorities of postoperative stability and motion.
Questions/purposes: (1) Does early or late initiation of physical therapy after multiligament knee surgery result in fewer postoperative manipulations? (2) Does early versus late physical therapy compromise stability postoperatively? (3) Does early initiation of physical therapy result in improved patient-reported outcomes, as measured by the Multi-ligament Quality of Life (ML-QOL) score?
Methods: Between 2011 and 2016, 36 adults undergoing multiligament repair or reconstruction were prospectively enrolled in a randomized controlled trial and randomized 1:1 to either early rehabilitation or late rehabilitation after surgery. Read More