Objectives: The purpose of this study was to assess the impact of an anti-gravity treadmill return to running programme on self-efficacy and subjective knee function following knee osteochondral surgery.
Methods: Two otherwise healthy female endurance runners who had undergone knee osteochondral surgery were recruited. Patient A was 9 months post-surgery for a left knee femoral cartilage grade 3–4 defect 3 cm2. Patient B was 11 weeks post-surgery for a partial lateral menisectomy and chondroplasty. An anti-gravity treadmill was usedto manipulate loading during a graduated phased return to running. Self-efficacy was evaluated using the Self-Efficacy for Rehabilitation outcomes scale (SER) and the Knee Self-Efficacy Scale (K-SES). Subjective knee function was evaluated using the Knee injury and Osteoarthritis Outcome Score (KOOS).
Results: The programmes resulted in improvements in SER (Patient A 57%; Patient B 18%) and K-SES present (Patient A 89%; Patient B 33%) and K-SES future (Patient A 65%; Patient B 33%). Only the KOOS Sport/Rec (Patient A and B) and the Quality of Life (Patient B) subscales showed clinically important improvements.
Conclusions: The programmes resulted in improved knee and rehabilitation self-efficacy and subjective knee function following osteochondral repair of the knee. These case reports illustrate the importance of considering self-efficacy in individualising rehabilitation after knee osteochondral surgery and highlights the potential role for anti-gravity treadmills in enhancing self-efficacy and subjective knee function in preparation for a return to sport
