title: Continuous passive motion in rehabilitation after anterior cruciate ligament reconstruction.
abstract: In a prospective, randomized study, 34 patients (25 male, 9 female; mean age 27 +/- 8 years) with unilateral anterior cruciate ligament ruptures and arthroscopic reconstruction with patellar tendon grafts were allocated at random to either early active motion only (AM; n = 17) or active motion in combination with continuous passive motion (CPM; n = 17). Range of motion was measured with a goniometer and joint swelling with a tape measure, preoperatively and at 6 weeks postoperatively. Neither associated injuries nor the age of the patients differed in the two groups. There was no difference in the range of motion between the two groups at 6 weeks' follow-up. Joint swelling was more pronounced in the AM group both preoperatively and at 6 weeks' follow-up. In this investigation the range of motion was not improved by CPM. The difference in joint swelling between the two groups may be explained by a persistent preoperative variation in joint effusion due to an imbalanced distribution of acute and chronic cases.
authors.affiliation: Department of Orthopedic Surgery, Karolinska Institute, Huddinge University Hospital, Sweden.
authors.forename: B
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Engström
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Sperber
authors.forename: T
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Wredmark
mesh_terms: D000208:Acute Disease; D000328:Adult; D000367:Age Factors; D016118:Anterior Cruciate Ligament / Q000601:surgery*; D000070598:Anterior Cruciate Ligament Injuries; D002908:Chronic Disease; D004487:Edema / Q000473:pathology; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006801:Humans; D007592:Joint Diseases / Q000473:pathology; D007719:Knee Joint / Q000473:pathology; D008297:Male; D017888:Medial Collateral Ligament, Knee / Q000293:injuries / Q000601:surgery; D015915:Motion Therapy, Continuous Passive; D009133:Muscular Atrophy / Q000473:pathology; D017847:Patellar Ligament / Q000637:transplantation; D026741:Physical Therapy Modalities; D011446:Prospective Studies; D016059:Range of Motion, Articular; D012421:Rupture