On August 29th, India celebrates National Sports Day and remembers the great hockey player, Major Dhyan Chand. It is a good time to consider the impact of sports injury surgery recovery on the profession. The term ‘career ending injury’ has taken on a different meaning with the evolution of sports surgery. One such surgery is arthroscopic repair of the knee. Understanding knee arthroscopy recovery time can help an athlete or a person who leads an active life to return to his/her normal active lifestyle with greater certainty.
What is arthroscopic knee surgery?
Damages to the ligaments or meniscus or cartilage of the knee can be repaired through arthroscopy. Traditionally, repair of such damages would be done through an open surgery of the knee. An arthroscopy of the knee requires a small camera and instruments that are inserted through small incisions. As a result, the surgery is less invasive, and the recovery time is a lot less compared to an open surgery. Patients researching arthroscopic knee surgery cost in India typically find it runs a fraction of the price in the US, UK, or Gulf countries, while using the same minimally invasive technique.
It is for these reasons that sports-related knee injuries are operated upon through arthroscopic surgery. Traditionally, such surgeries would require a much larger incision and a longer recovery time.
Understanding Common Injuries Treated Arthroscopically: Meniscus Tear Treatment and ACL Reconstruction
Meniscus tears are commonplace and generally occur with knee joint bending or twisting. These tears are often treated with surgery, and choosing between meniscus repair vs. meniscectomy depends on where the tear sits. If a tear occurs with the outer portion of the cartilage, the surgery is to reattach the piece (repair). If a tear occurs with the inner portion, the surgery is to trim the torn cartilage (meniscectomy). The inner portion has a poor blood supply, and therefore the torn cartilage does not heal.
Anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) tears also occur frequently and are generally considered a result of injury in sports and other physical activities. ACL reconstruction surgery is required to stabilize the knee. Often, a graft is harvested from the patient to reconstruct the ligament. ACL reconstruction allows for the return of knee stability for cutting and pivoting, which are required for the competitive nature of sports.
Estimated Return to Sports: ACL Surgery Recovery Time and Meniscus Timelines
Repair or cleaning of the meniscus takes 2-4 weeks to recover to full activities and 6-8 weeks to full sports. For full recovery, meniscus repairs often require physical therapy. Football and basketball, which require pivoting and cutting, have the longest estimated ACL surgery recovery time for ACL reconstruction. Most surgeons use physiotherapy milestones to determine if a patient is ready to return to sports, as many patients are eager to return too soon. For a broader view of what a structured recovery period looks like week by week, our knee replacement recovery timeline guide walks through comparable milestones for related knee procedures.
Post-Arthroscopic Knee Surgery Rehabilitation and Return to Sport Protocol
Post-arthroscopic surgery, the goal of rehabilitation is the same, regardless of the indication for surgery. The rehabilitation process is broken into three stages. The first stage of rehabilitation focuses on controlling inflammation and swelling, as well as restoring range of motion. The second stage incorporates a progressive, controlled strengthening of the surrounding structures of the knee. The final stage incorporates training, both on the field and in the weight room, focused on sport-specific drills and tasks under a structured return to sport protocol. Complete functional recovery is required prior to returning to competition. During this process, specific tasks or tests may be used to determine functional recovery. Functions assessed may include movement quality to perform a sport-specific cutting maneuver, as well as leg strength and/or symmetry.
The goal of rehabilitation, as previously described, has changed the focus of return to sport from a timeline approach to a functional approach.
Importance of Prompt Diagnosis and Treatment
The importance of an accurate, prompt diagnosis is well recognized, particularly in regard to the knee. Some knee conditions, such as some meniscal tears and sprains of the knee ligaments, do not necessarily require surgical treatment and may improve with rehabilitation. In these situations, an accurate diagnosis is often made with the help of MRI. With some injuries requiring surgical treatment, a prompt diagnosis and treatment may improve the overall knee condition and prognosis. Examples of this may include conditions that lead to a destabilizing of the knee, as well as conditions that cause cartilage injury of the knee. MediKaya Healthcare’s sports medicine and orthopedic partners have helped many patients in determining whether they need surgery or whether they can improve with conservative treatments and rehabilitation.
Expanded Recovery Programs for Athletes
Successful return to sport programs include more than just the surgical repair. Other components of the program include psychological counseling, sport-specific conditioning, and nutrition, to name a few. MediKaya Healthcare’s sports medicine physiotherapy partners understand the importance of all these aspects of an athlete’s recovery and incorporate them in the athlete’s rehabilitation plan.
Treating International Patients
MediKaya Healthcare has extensive experience in treating international patients and athletes by organizing their surgical visits and rehabilitation plans. A local physiotherapist may be responsible for rehabilitation after surgery; however, in the absence of a planned rehabilitation program, the athlete may be returning home with no further guidance or support.
Frequently Asked Questions
Q. Are all meniscal tears surgical indications?
Not all meniscal tears require surgery. Adequate, and oftentimes better, healing may occur with physical therapy if the tear is in the outer portion of the meniscus. Surgery may be indicated with symptoms of mechanical locking or with tears in the inner portion of the meniscus.
Q. What is the usual timeframe for an athlete to recover and return to competition after ACL reconstruction?
Athletes usually return to competition 6-9 months post ACL reconstruction. This ACL surgery recovery time reflects the pace of graft healing, and returning to competition before achieving the milestones set by physiotherapists increases the risk of further injury to the ACL graft and knee.
Q. Is arthroscopic surgery only for athletes?
Arthroscopic surgery is not exclusively for athletes. This type of surgery is performed on people of all ages and includes patients with degenerative joints, or patients with acute or chronic joint injuries secondary to trauma or a fall.
Q. What determines if I undergo surgery or continue with physiotherapy?
Factors including the location of the injury, the type of injury, how the injury affects day-to-day activity, and the goals of the individual are considered. The best person to answer this question is an orthopedic surgeon or sports medicine specialist.
Q. What is functional testing?
Functional testing is an assessment of an individual’s leg symmetry and the quality of an individual’s movement. Functional testing is used to evaluate an individual’s readiness to return to sports and competition rather than to simply evaluate how long it has been since an individual’s injury.
Q. Are all meniscal tears repaired?
No, if the meniscal tissue is not adequately perfused (supply of blood), then the tissue has limited healing capacity, and that meniscal tissue will not be repaired.