Short-term effects of mobilisation with movement in patients with post-traumatic stiffness of the knee joint

Background: Mobilisation with movement treatment techniques have been used to increase the range of motion following pathologies associated with shoulder, elbow and ankle joints. Lack of posterior tibial glide and reflex muscle inhibition are common physical impairments in individuals with post-traumatic stiffness of the knee joint. Current evidence is lacking for the benefits of mobilisation with movement treatment techniques for the knee joint disorders.

Objective: The purpose of this study was to investigate the short-term effects of mobilisation with movement techniques following post-traumatic stiffness of the knee joint.

Methods: Twenty consecutive patients with post-traumatic stiffness of the knee joint with a minimum available 80° knee flexion range of motion were included. One group pre-to-post-test study design was employed, in which the active knee flexion range of motion was used as an outcome measure. The mobilisation with movement treatment techniques was implemented with three sets of ten repetitions on each treatment occasion for a period of 3 days.

Results: The mobilisation with movement treatment techniques significantly improved the active knee flexion range of motion (p = 0.000) from pre-treatment to post-treatment.

Conclusions: The findings from this study demonstrated immediate benefits in outcomes following mobilisation with movement treatment techniques in a cohort of patients with post-traumatic stiffness of the knee joint.