Physiotherapy Treatment for Knee Cartilage Injuries

New Evidence for Physiotherapy treatment of Knee Cartilage Injuries

A new, large, high quality study published in the prestigious British Medical Journal last month has shown an exciting outcome when comparing physiotherapy to surgery for patients with a knee cartilage/meniscal injury or osteoarthritic changes.  When a group of more than 350 patients were split into 2 equal groups and treated either with physiotherapy or with an arthroscopy (surgical operation) the outcomes in terms of pain and function were the same at 6 and 12 months regardless as to which treatment the patient had.  This is excellent news for the large group of patients who are keen to avoid the risks of surgery.

Knee injuries can be a debilitating, painful problem and often patients with cartilage injuries will talk about their knee giving way or locking.  Cartilage tears usually occur after a twisting type injury to the knee and pain is often instant.

“These results should help guide clinicians and patients when deciding how to manage meniscal tears and knee OA,” said lead investigator and author Jeffrey N. Katz, M.D., of Brigham and Women’s Hospital and Harvard Medical School. “It is reassuring to know that physiotherapy for managing the condition is a valid choice for people who may want to avoid surgery.

A summary of the article is available from: http://www.niams.nih.gov/News_and_Events/Spotlight_on_Research/2013/pt_surgery_meniscus.asp as unfortunately you can only access the original with subscription rights.

If you think that you may have a knee cartilage injury, book an appointment with our experienced Chartered Physiotherapists in Bournemouth today to start your road to recovery.  Call us on 01202 725090.