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17-Year-Old Female GymnastDiagnosis: Status post left knee ACL reconstruction.Patient history: Patient was referred to clinic by her orthopedic surgeon, at 8 weeks post-op, after having received 8 weeks of physical therapy treatment at another provider. The surgeon reported displeasure with the lack of full knee extension. Significant findings: The patient presented with a 13º flexion contracture of her surgical knee. Passive knee extension was painfully restricted, with the patient reporting severe anterior joint line pain at the end of range. Palpation of the popliteal space revealed a 2cm diameter zone of dense, tender soft tissue, directly adjacent and medial to the posterior border of the lateral femoral condyle. Intervention: A neuromuscular treatment approach was applied to the painful area, one visit only. Outcome: After one visit, patient achieved an 80% reduction of the pain at end range extension, gaining 10º of knee extension (3º short of full extension). With the surgeon’s permission, the patient was referred back to the original physical therapy clinic she had been treated at. |
