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Evidence summaries

Rehabilitation after Arthroscopic Meniscectomy

Home-based exercise programme combined with simple analgesics appears to be effective for rehabilitation after meniscectomy. Level of evidence: "B"

A systematic review 1 including 8 RCTs with a total of 455 subjects was abstracted in DARE. In most cases, simple analgesics in the first 1 to 2 days following surgery and a well-planned home-based exercise programme should be sufficient for recovery. It is possible that routine daily non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs taken post-operatively for 3 to 6 weeks may enhance recovery rates. One study found that physiotherapy was beneficial for retaining muscle strength and had a positive effect on pain assessment, but this did not translate into functional improvement.

    References

    • Goodyear-Smith F, Arroll B. Rehabilitation after arthroscopic meniscectomy: a critical review of the clinical trials. Int Orthop 2001;24(6):350-3. [PubMed][DARE]

Primary/Secondary Keywords