title: The effectiveness of postoperative physical therapy treatment in patients who have undergone arthroscopic partial meniscectomy: systematic review with meta-analysis.
abstract: METHODS
  Systematic review with meta-analysis.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  To evaluate the effectiveness of postoperative physical therapy treatment for patients who have undergone arthroscopic partial meniscectomy.
  
  
  BACKGROUND
  There is no consensus on which treatment is best for patients post meniscectomy.
  
  
  METHODS
  A search for articles published from 1950 to March 2013 was conducted in the MEDLINE, Embase, CINAHL, LILACS, SciELO, IBECS, Scopus, Web of Science, PEDro, Academic Search Premier, and Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials databases. The key words were physiotherapy, physical therapy modalities, exercise therapy, rehabilitation, knee, placebo, groups, tibial meniscus, meniscus, arthroscopy, meniscectomy, partial meniscectomy, randomized controlled trial, controlled clinical trial, randomized, systematic review, and meta-analysis.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Eighteen randomized controlled trials were included in the review, 6 of which were included in the meta-analysis. Outpatient physical therapy plus a home exercise program, compared to a home program alone, improved function compared to a home program alone (mean difference, 10.3; 95% confidence interval: 1.3, 19.3; P = .02) and knee flexion range of motion (mean difference, 9.1; 95% confidence interval: 3.7, 14.5; P = .0009). Inpatient physical therapy alone compared to inpatient plus outpatient physical therapy reduced the likelihood of effusion (odds ratio = 0.25; 95% confidence interval: 0.10, 0.61; P = .003).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Physical therapy associated with home exercises seems to be effective in improving patient-reported knee function and range of motion in patients post-arthroscopic meniscectomy, although the included randomized controlled trials were classified from moderate to high risk of bias and should be interpreted with caution.
  
  
  METHODS
  Therapy, level 1a-.
authors.affiliation: Laboratory of Biomechanics and Clinical Epidemiology, Department of Physical Therapy, Universidade Estadual de Londrina, Londrina, Brazil.
authors.forename: Josilainne Marcelino
authors.initials: JM
authors.lastname: Dias
authors.forename: Bruno Fles
authors.initials: BF
authors.lastname: Mazuquin
authors.forename: Fernanda Queiroz Ribeiro Cerci
authors.initials: FQ
authors.lastname: Mostagi
authors.forename: Tarcísio Brandão
authors.initials: TB
authors.lastname: Lima
authors.forename: Mônica Angélica Cardoso
authors.initials: MA
authors.lastname: Silva
authors.forename: Bruna Nogueira
authors.initials: BN
authors.lastname: Resende
authors.forename: Rodrigo Matsuoka
authors.initials: RM
authors.lastname: Borges da Silva
authors.forename: Edson Lopes
authors.initials: EL
authors.lastname: Lavado
authors.forename: Jefferson Rosa
authors.initials: JR
authors.lastname: Cardoso
mesh_terms: D000553:Ambulatory Care; D001182:Arthroscopy; D006760:Hospitalization; D006801:Humans; D007719:Knee Joint / Q000502:physiology / Q000601:surgery; D008592:Menisci, Tibial / Q000601:surgery*; D026741:Physical Therapy Modalities; D011182:Postoperative Care / Q000534:rehabilitation; D016032:Randomized Controlled Trials as Topic; D016059:Range of Motion, Articular / Q000502:physiology