Abstract

The knee joint is subject to a large number of diseases and injuries which later can be most complex. It is essential that a clearcut diagnosis of the disorder be established at the very earliest moment so as to establish the guide-lines of treatment - whether that should be by conservative methods for a condition which will respond to such treatment, or, alternatively, by surgical management such as displaced tears of the meniscii, rupture of the collateral ligaments and capsule and, finally, re-constructive surgery where instability, particularly of a rotational nature, is the problem. The Physiotherapist has an important part to play in the early stages of knee injury, soas to limit swelling and maintain muscle function, but his treatment must be along the clear-cut lines which the establishment of an early, correct diagnosis provides. Once surgery has been done, the Physiotherapist again has an important place in the rehabilitation of the injured joint with its weakened muscles under the guide-lines of the treating surgeon or physician. Verf.-Referat