Continuous Passive Motion (CPM) is a postoperative rehabilitation therapy designed to aid in patient recovery after joint surgery, soft tissue surgical procedure or trauma. The treatment method has been practiced for more than 30 years.
After extensive joint surgery patient attempts at joint flexion can cause considerable pain, dissuading the patient from effective joint motion. Failure to achieve proper rehabilitative flexion can lead to stiffening of the tissue around the joint. Eventually, this condition may cause intra-articular adhesions (formation of scar tissue) and extra-articular contractures (shortening of a muscle or tendon), resulting in a limited range of motion for the joint.
Passive range of motion moves the joint gradually and slowly without the use of the patient’s muscles. The device is applied post-operatively and can be used in both inpatient and outpatient therapy regimens. The physician will prescribe usage instructions, including the speed of the machine, the duration of usage, amount of motion and the rate of motion increase.
Various studies have concluded that patients using a CPM machine following surgery generally reduce the risk of complications and require less pain medication than those who do not use the CPM device after the same type of surgery.
CPM has been proven to:
- Reduce post-operative pain and swelling
- Prevent joint stiffness
- Maintain and increase Range of Motion (ROM)
- Prevent intra-articular adhesions (scar tissue) and extra-articular contractures (shortening of a muscle or tendon)
Indications:
Total Knee Replacement (TKR)
Anterior Cruciate Ligament reconstruction (ACL)
Manipulation under anesthesia
Meniscus repair
Prosthetic replacement
Prolonged joint immobilization
Shoulder arthroplasty
Rotator cuff repair
Reconstructive surgery of bone, cartilage, tendons and ligaments
