What happened?
A 30-year-old man developed right knee pain and swelling after a two-wheeler accident. Investigations identified complete ACL and PCL tears, followed by arthroscopic reconstruction and a structured physiotherapy programme.
Clinical findings
- The combined ligament injury created substantial instability and functional limitations.
- Surgical management included ACL reconstruction using semitendinosus and gracilis tendons and arthroscopic PCL reconstruction.
- The case required rehabilitation to be coordinated with post-operative precautions and the surgical team's instructions.
Rehabilitation described in the report
- A structured post-operative physiotherapy programme was delivered with progression tailored to the patient's recovery.
- The original report describes rehabilitation over 12 weeks; the precise exercise selection and loading restrictions should be checked in the full text before clinical application.
Reported outcomes
- The authors reported improvements in knee range of motion and muscle strength after 12 weeks.
- The patient achieved improved functional mobility and independent ambulation.
Clinical lessons to consider
- Combined ligament reconstruction is not the same as an isolated ACL pathway; respect the surgeon's specific precautions.
- Track range, strength, gait and functional mobility, while progressing loading only when appropriate.
- A published case can illustrate clinical sequencing but cannot establish one protocol as optimal.
Limitations — what this case cannot tell us
- Single case with surgical and rehabilitation interventions combined, so the contribution of physiotherapy cannot be isolated.
- Details from one patient should not override procedure-specific guidance.
Original source
Vaishnavi R. Waghe, Priya Tikhile, Deepali S. Patil. “The Integral Role of Physiotherapy in Combined Complete Anterior Cruciate Ligament and Posterior Cruciate Ligament Arthroscopic Reconstruction: A Case Report.” Cureus, 2024. DOI: 10.7759/cureus.57556
View the original publicationThis page is an independently written educational summary, not a reproduction of the full paper. Check the original article for complete methods, outcome tables, references and licensing.