Physical Therapy Treatment of Nonoperative and Operative Articular Defects in the Knee

Rehabilitation of cartilage injuries varies among institutions, surgeons, and therapists. There is some standardization of rehabilitation protocols based on basic biomechanical principles. We review nonoperative and postoperative rehabilitation of cartilage injuries. Postoperative rehabilitation is divided into sections based on the most common surgical treatments: microfracture, autologous chondrocyte implantation, and osteochondral autograft transplantation. Basic principles reviewed can be applied to other surgical techniques and variations of the techniques discussed.