INTEGRAL REHABILITATION FOR TRAUMATIC INJURIES OF THE STIFLE JOINT COMPLEX IN THE EARLY RECOVERY PERIOD

Abstract

Soft tissue traumas of the stifle joint complex are among the commonest locomotor system injuries determined by the high proportion of people with active lifestyle, practicing professional or amateur sport – prerequisite for traumatic injury of stifle soft tissues. Data about high relative proportion of stifle traumas point toward the high social importance of such injuries and the development of up-to-date individual rehabilitation programmes assisting the recovery of patients.
The aim of the present work was to monitor the progress of patients with soft tissue traumas of the stifle joint complex during the early recovery period.
Material and methods. The study cohort comprised 70 patients with soft tissue traumas of the stifle joint complex during the early recovery period after conservative and surgical treatment. Procedures with duration of 60-90 minutes were performed once daily in Kinesi-3 Rehab Center throughout 24 months.
The research methods included: questionnaire survey evaluating the subjective state and locomotor activity level of the patient, assessment of pain by means of a visual-analog pain scale labelled from 0 t? 10, pain analysis – type, localisation, time of onset; anthropometric measurements of legs; goniometry of joints; manual muscle testing of main muscles in the stifle joint region; testing for ligaments – stifle instability test, plantography examination, and gait analysis.
Results and discussion. The survey has proved the positive effect with respect to functional recovery of the leg. The hypothesis that early integral rehabilitation has a key role for shortening of the recovery period was confirmed, and the necessity for proper combination and application of treatment activities was ascertained.
Conclusion. The applied rehabilitation programme gave a maximum effect for improvement of the general physical and psycho-emotional condition. It provided locomotor independence to patients, as well as full return to everyday life activities.