Case Studies

What is unicompartmental arthritis?

Unicompartmental arthritis of the knee is when only one part of the knee joint is affected by degenerative arthritis. The rest of the knee (the compartments) remain mainly unaffected. 

The Problem

Our client, a male in his 50s, came to us for rehabilitation shortly after undergoing a femoral osteotomy (surgery to correct the orientation of the femur and change the forces/weight-bearing through the femur at the knee joint). 

This type of arthritis is very common but surgery to correct alignment of either tibia or femur is much less common. It is sometimes indicated if there is early degenerative changes.

The Solution

We didn’t see him at our clinic until 8 weeks after his surgery due to a minor setback post-surgery.  However, we were certain we’d be able to provide the physiotherapy he needed to get firmly back on his feet.

We recommended a programme of 4-5 months of structured rehabilitation, focusing on strength, mobility and balance. All of it was designed to improve his confidence , and to get him walking normally as soon as possible. He had daily strength work to do , alongside a programme of balance work and mobility work for his hip and knee. We maintained good contact with the surgeon to keep him posted on his progress.

The Result

Within a few weeks of rehab, we saw significant progress with this patient, who was then able to walk with minimal discomfort. At 8 weeks (so 16 weeks post op) he was strengthening well in the gym , riding a bike and was coping with a good level of work. He returned to his beloved golf course on month 5 and has continued his strength work as a maintenance programme weekly.