Microfracture — Procedure - Knee

UW Health Sports Medicine · UW Health Sports Rehabilitation; UW Health Sports Medicine Physician group

Weight-Bearing

FC lesion: NWB 0-2 wks → TDWB 3-4 wks → WBAT 5-6 wks; PF lesion: TDWB 0-2 wks → WBAT 3-6 wks (Scerpella: WBAT 0-6 wks)

Key Restrictions

Axillary crutches 6 weeks; PF lesions: locked knee brace 6 weeks; ROM exercises 4-8 hrs/day in Phase I (CPM); no impact until 12 weeks; WB varies by lesion location and surgeon

Timeline & Phases

Phase I (0-6 wks): NWB→WBAT per protocol, ROM exercises 4-8 hrs/day, CPM; Phase II (6+ wks): normalize gait, no impact until 12 wks; Phase III (3 mo+): impact control, RTS (dynamic neuromuscular control without pain/swelling)

Notes

WB varies by lesion location (femoral condyle vs. patellofemoral) and by surgeon (Baer/Day/Spiker/Walczak vs. Scerpella for PF lesions). CPM and frequent ROM exercises emphasized in Phase I. Return to impact sport may require 9-16 months.

Surgeon / Author

UW Health Sports Rehabilitation; UW Health Sports Medicine Physician group

Published

2018-03