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Rehabilitation After Cartilage Repair Surgery: Part II Practical Issues

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Techniques in Cartilage Repair Surgery

Abstract

The primary aim of any rehabilitative procedure after cartilage repair is to reach the optimal recovery of daily activities and sportive level. It is commonly accepted that most surgical procedures for cartilage repair demand a prolonged rehabilitation period of up to 6 or more months [25, 37]. To support the healing process and optimize the postoperative result, this period should be seen equally important as the operative procedure itself [54, 63]. Although high level of evidence data is limited, basic principles are commonly accepted to direct the postoperative rehabilitation [25, 33]. These should be oriented on each individual patient and his/her specific injury/lesion, the specifics of the surgical procedure, and the particularities of each individual rehab process. This allows for choosing the correct exercises and training methods. Overall, such a process requires an interdisciplinary team of all involved therapists (surgeon, physiotherapist, primary care physicians, etc.).

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Beitzel, K., Kohn, L., Imhoff, A.B. (2014). Rehabilitation After Cartilage Repair Surgery: Part II Practical Issues. In: Shetty, A.A., Kim, SJ., Nakamura, N., Brittberg, M. (eds) Techniques in Cartilage Repair Surgery. Springer, Berlin, Heidelberg. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-642-41921-8_27

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