Lateral Meniscus Repair in a Professional Ice Hockey Goaltender: A Case Report With a 5-Year Follow-up

Abstract

STUDY DESIGN: Case report of a professional ice hockey goaltender who underwent an arthroscopically assisted lateral meniscus repair. BACKGROUND: Rehabilitation of isolated meniscal repairs is not well documented in the literature. There is little knowledge about the healing time and the choice of rehabilitation exercises to be applied to a repaired meniscus. The objective of this case report is to describe a criterion-based, supervised, sport-specific rehabilitation protocol for a high-level athlete with a lateral meniscus repair from the first postoperative day until return to competitive sport, including a 5-year follow-up. CASE DESCRIPTION: The criterion-based protocol used with this athlete was based on a sport-specific neuromuscular rehabilitation approach. Data collected included range of motion, strength, neuromuscular control, and magnetic resonance images. OUTCOMES: This high-level athlete was able to return to sport 103 days after surgery and no reinjury of the lateral meniscus occurred up to 5 years after surgery. DISCUSSION: The sport-specific, criterion-based, supervised rehabilitation program described in this case report showed a safe return to sport and a good long-term outcome.