Midterm- Knee Flashcards
General Intervention Goals- Acute
- decrease inflammation (RICE)
- patient education
- maintain ROM –> minimize stiffness
- minimize muscle atrophy
- prevent deformity and protect joint
- CV training when possible
- fall prevention
- body mechanics to minimize stress
Why is swelling in the knee particularly an issue?
Quads become very sensitive to the effects
General Intervention Goals- Subacute/Chronic
- Decrease effects of stiffness from inactivity
- Decrease pain from mechanical stress
- Increase ROM
- Increase mobility of soft tissue (skin needs to stretch!)
- increase strength and endurance
- include functional training
- include balance/proprioception
- CV training
- Monitor signs of inflammation closely (swelling, redness, warmth, pain)
- Weight bearing/gait training as needed
General Intervention Goals- Surgical Intervention Early Considerations
- scar healing
- decrease inflammation
- weight bearing status
- manage pain
- increase ROM –> not necessarily trying to gain, but more so moving through ROM
- maintain muscle function
General Intervention Precautions
- Overuse
- Increasing ROM when muscle strength is not adequate to control motion
- Strong muscle contractions may increase joint symptoms (compression)
- Weight-Bearing status
- condition of joint surfaces
- joint stability
- medications
- general medical conditions
Dr Hall wants you to review the textbook
shocking
MCL Lesion Etiology
football, soccer, baseball, skiing, MVA
LCL lesion etiology
baseball, skiing, miscellaneous
MOI MCL
contact to lateral/ posterolateral knee or non contact with foot planted
MOI LCL
contact medial knee
Symptoms of Grade I MCL/LCL Sprain
- history
- pain with valgus/varus stress
- palpation over ligament
- possible local swelling
- joint is stable
- AROM may be painful
Symptoms of Grade II MCL/LCL Sprain
- history
- local swelling and some effusion
- pain with valgus/varus stress
- ROM limited
- Laxity at 30 degrees
- palpable defect
Symptoms of Grade III MCL/LCL Sprain
- full thickness tear
- greater amounts of grade II findings
Why might there not be a ton of swelling with MCL/LCL sprain?
there is not a ton of blood flow in this area
See Conservative Management- Ligament Lesions Table
Can you do sidelying SLR for LCL injury?
No
It creates a varus force
What is the most commonly injured ligament in the knee?
ACL
Etiology of noncontact ACL lesion
forceful hyperextension or lateral rotation force when foot is planted
Etiology of contact ACL lesion
valgus force to the knee
Symptoms of ACL lesion
- history
- acute, tense effusion
- Lachman’s Test
- Anterior Drawer, Levers Tests
- Posterior knee pain (acute)
- Posterior and lateral knee pain (chronic)
What is the terrible triad?
- MCL
- ACL
- Medical meniscus
Etiology of PCL ligament lesion
Most commonly injured by a forceful blow to the anterior tibia while the knee is flexed
Are males or females more likely to injure the ACL?
Females are 3 times more likely to injure ACL in non contact situations
What are the 4 risk factor categories theorized to be the reason females are more likely to injure ACL?
- Biomechanical risk factors
- Neuromuscular Control of the Joint
- Structure Risk Factors
- Hormonal Differences
Biomechanics Risk Factors
- Awkward or improper dynamic body movements
- Deceleration/Change of direction
(Decreased hip and knee flexion with cutting activities = increased risk)
Neuromuscular control of the joint
- influence on joint position and movement
- weaker hip and knee strength along with altered activation patterns
Structural risk factors
- femoral notch size
- ACL size
- Lower extremity alignment
Advantages of Bone-Tendon-Bone graft for ACL repair
- high tensile strength/stiffness
- secure/reliable bone-to-bone fixation
- rapid revascularization/biological fixation (6 weeks), allowing accelerated rehabilitation
- Return to high-demand activities/preinjury status
Advantages of Semiteninosus-gracilis autograft for ACL repair
- high tensile strength/stiffness
- no disturbance of epiphyseal plate in skeletally immature patients
- hamstring regeneration at donor site
- flexor strength loss remediated within 2 years
Disadvantages of Bone-Tendon-Bone graft for ACL repair
- Anterior knee pain (site of donor graft)
- pain during kneeling
- extensor mechanism/patellofemoral dysfunction
- long-term quad weakness
- patellar fracture during graft harvest
- patellar tendon rupture (rare)
Disadvantages of Semiteninosus-gracilis autograft for ACL repair
- Tendon to bone fixation, not as reliable
- Longer healing time at bone-tendon interface (12 weeks)
- Hamstring muscle strain during early rehabilitation
- Short/long term flexor muscle weakness
- possible increased anterior tibial translation
See “ACL Reconstruction- Intervention for Accelerated Rehabilitation” Slide
Slide 15
Kisner et al table 21.5 in current edition
What are ACL/PCL precautions?
- 45-0 resisted extension in OKC; 60-90 in CKC for ACL
- Avoid OKC knee flexion for PCL
Exercise precautions post ACL reconstruction for resistance training
- progress exercises more gradually for reconstruction with hamstring tendon graft than bone-patellar tendon-bone graft
- progress knee flexor strengthening exercises cautiously if a hamstring tendon graft was harvested and knee extensor strengthening if a patellar tendon graft was harvested
Exercise precautions post ACL reconstruction- Closed Chain Training
- When squatting in an upright position, be sure that the knees do not move anterior to the toes as the hips descend because this increases shear forces on the tibia and could potentially place excess stress on the autograft
- Avoid closed-chain strengthening of the quadriceps between 60-90 degrees of flexion
Exercise precautions post ACL reconstruction: Open Chain Training
- During PRE to strengthen hip musculature, initially place the resistance above the knee until knee control is established
- Avoid resisted, open-chain knee extension between 45 degrees or 30 degrees to full extension
- Avoid applying resistance to the distal tibia during quadriceps strengthening
Criteria to return to high demand activity post ACL reconstruction
- No knee pain or joint effusion
- full active knee ROM
- quadriceps strength > 85% of contralateral side or peak torque/body mass 40% and 60% for men and 30% and 50% for women
- hamstring strength 100% of contralateral side
- No postoperative history of knee instability/giving way
- negative pivot shift test
- Knee stability measured by arthrometer: < 3 mm difference between reconstructed and uninjured side
- Proprioceptive testing: 100%
- Functional testing: >85% or >90% of contralateral side normative values
- Acceptable patient-reported score on comprehensive, quantitative knee function tool
- Acceptable confidence and motivation based on variables such as kinesiophobia or emotional preparedness for return to activities
General precautions post PCL reconstruction
- Avoid exercises and activities that place excessive posterior shear forces and cause posterior displacement of the tibia on the femur, thus disrupting the healing graft
- Limit number of flexion repetitions