In the previous article (see below) we discussed the MACI procedure including a rough guideline for physiotherapy rehabilitation following the surgery. In this article we will expand on this idea and discuss the mid-term outcomes of the surgery, including that which we are all interested in; return to play outcomes.
In the world of sports physiotherapy and sports medicine articular cartilage defects of the knee are commonly seen (Reinold et al., 2006). Unfortunately, in these cases we find non-operative approaches are ineffective given the avascular nature of articular cartilage. Thus, there has been the development of a large number of surgical techniques to address articular cartilage lesions. This article will discuss a relatively new technique, Matrix-induced autologous cartilage implantation or MACI, including an overview of technique, mid-term outcomes and of course the rehabilitation implications for physiotherapists.
It will come as no surprise to anybody that we are in the business of treating soft tissues injuries. If this is a surprise.. stand up and walk away from the screen now … this information or website is not for you! But for the majority of physiotherapists who treat acute soft tissue sports injuries we will base our early interventions around the PRICE principle (protection, relative rest, ice, compression, elevation). This would be considered a component of gold-standard management…
In this episode of the podcast I interview Paul Penna. Paul Penna is a Sports Psychologist, and has extensive experience working with sports from weekend warriors to elite sportspeople. Paul has worked with the Beijing Olympic Team, Melbourne Commonwealth Games, and currently the Australian Swim Team, Cricket NSW, and Wests Tigers Rugby League Club. In the interview we discuss…
