Patient Profile
Mr Chan presented to the clinic on crutches with bilateral knee pain. His symptoms developed after returning to football following a bilateral ankle sprain. Walking and bending his knees were particularly difficult, significantly limiting his mobility and daily activities.
Initial Assessment and Diagnosis
Physiotherapist Annabelle carried out a full assessment and noted swelling in both knees, with pain on a variety of movements. Based on her findings, she was able to diagnose him with bilateral medial meniscus tears.
Early Management
The initial rehabilitation plan focused on:
- Gait retraining to improve walking patterns
- Inner range quadriceps strengthening to reduce pain and improve stability
- Modifying activity and use of anti-inflammatories
These early interventions enabled Mr Chan to progress from walking with crutches towards unaided mobility.
Further Investigation
After six weeks of physiotherapy, we sent Mr Chan for an MRI scan to understand the extent of the injury as his left knee pain was still causing issues. The MRI result revealed his left knee had a medial meniscus tear and ACL sprain which helped guide future treatment.
Rehabilitation Progression
The programme was adjusted to include:
- Closed chain exercises which helped reduce the remaining pain
- Use of a step-by-step, personalised rehabilitation programme consisting of strengthening, balance training and plyometric activity.
This rehab ensured that Mr Chan is now stronger than ever and he is delighted to be back to playing football again.
Mr Chan commented on his positive experience in clinic:
“I would like thank my physiotherapist, Ms. Annabelle Maillot, who has been instrumental to my full recovery from an ACL/MCL (Meniscus Tear) injury to my left knee over 5 months which I sustained during a football match. I am now close to full recovery and getting gradually back onto the football pitch!
Through the professionalism and knowledge by Annabelle, I have been able to receive best-in-class medical advices and support for my recovery and rehabilitation (e.g. from Pain Management, to implementing a gradual step-by-step rehab exercise program over time), and on top of that and most importantly, Annabelle’s passion and enthusiasm to understand and provide support to her patients – in this case, myself – has definitely made a huge difference especially when I am facing bottlenecks during my recovery and thus emotionally feeling down. The physical and emotional wellbeing is equally important for achieving positive results consistently, and I think Annabelle’s patience and positive mindset is one of her greatest strengths as a medical practitioner.
I therefore would like to thank Annabelle once again for all her support and encouragement to me during these past few months of treatment and recommend her services with my full approval and heart”
