Cartilage Injury Rehabilitation in the Human and Implications for use in Equine Rehabilitation Protocols
Open Access
Author:
Pierce, Kathleen M
Area of Honors:
Animal Sciences
Degree:
Bachelor of Science
Document Type:
Thesis
Thesis Supervisors:
William Burton Staniar, Thesis Supervisor William Burton Staniar, Thesis Honors Advisor Edward A. Jedrzejewski, Faculty Reader
Keywords:
Equine Cartilage Rehabilitation
Abstract:
Articular cartilage injuries have been long studied in order to develop surgery and rehabilitation protocols that will give the patient the greatest chance of return to normal, pain-free function. In human medicine, rehabilitation programs are individualized for each patient based on the size and severity of the defect and the surgical procedure used to correct the defect. These programs center on the use of range of motion exercises and a gradual return to weight bearing in order to optimize the patient’s return to normal physical activity following surgery.
The purpose of this thesis is to identify the key components of rehabilitation programs utilized in human rehabilitation following arthroscopic repair of cartilage defects and to apply the understanding of cartilage structure and function to identify ways in which equine rehabilitation programs can be tailored to the individual to optimize the cartilage repair process.
