The Evaluation of Traditional Chinese Medicine Intervention for Post-operative Edema After Cruciate Ligament Reconstruction

There are loads of research on knee surgery, including surgical methods, rehabilitation strategies, and complication prevention. Whether it is general surgery or endoscopic surgery, there may be postoperative joint swelling, which may last for several weeks depending on the patient's condition. Therefore, reducing swelling as soon as possible is important in post-operative treatment. Swelling of the knee joint may increase soft tissue tension, causing pain and discomfort, and affecting the range of motion and functional recovery of the joint. It may also affect wound healing and increase the risk of complications such as infection and thrombosis. Most clinical research related to traditional Chinese medicine focuses on reducing pain, and little attention is paid to reducing swelling, relatively. Nevertheless most relevant literatures discuss total knee replacement surgery.

Cruciate ligament surgery is very common in sports medicine orthopedics. It is expected that ordinary patients get function recovery quickly after surgery, and athletes can return to play as soon as possible. This study is a prospective study, with partially double-blinded, randomized controlled study design. The investigators are aiming to TCM intervention for knee swelling after cruciate ligament surgery, and evaluation of postoperative swelling and functional improvement. TCM intervention methods are laser acupuncture and external application of herbal medicine.