285

All the authors declare that there is no potential confict of interest referring to this article.
Universidade Federal de So Paulo (UNIFESP) Department of Orthopedics and Traumatology of Escola Paulista de Medicina So Paulo, SP, Brazil.
Study conducted in the Orthopedics and Traumatology Ward of Hospital So Paulo by the Department of Orthopedics and Traumatology of Universidade Federal de So Paulo/
Escola Paulista de Medicina (DOT - UNIFESP/EPM).
Mailing address: Rua Borges Lagoa, 783 5 andar CEP: 04038-031 Vila Clementino, So Paulo SP, Brazil. Email: caca_dambros@yahoo.com.br
EFFECTIVENESS OF CRYOTHERAPY AFTER ANTERIOR
CRUCIATE LIGAMENT RECONSTRUCTION
CAMILA DAMBROS, ANA LUIZA CABRERA MARTIMBIANCO, LUIS OTVIO POLACHINI, GISELE LANDIM LAHOZ,
THEREZINHA ROSANE CHAMLIAN, MOISS COHEN
ABSTRACT
Objective: The purpose of this study was to evaluate cryo-
therapy effectiveness in the immediate postoperative period
of ACL reconstruction to improve pain and range of motion
(ROM) of the knee. Methods: This is a pilot study of a pro-
spective and randomized clinical trial. Patients (n=25) were
divided into two groups: Intervention (A) group (n=10): patients
were submitted to an inpatient physical therapy protocol and
received ice compress for 20 minutes, twice a day; Control
(B) group (n=9): patients had the same protocol, twice a day.
The pain intensity was evaluated with the visual analogic scale
(VAS) and range of motion was measured with a goniometer.
Results: The Intervention (A) group had important absolute and
percentual improvement when compared with the Control (B)
group regarding measures of pain and knee flexion/extension
ROM. Conclusion: Cryotherapy in the immediate postoperative
period of ACL reconstruction was effective to improve pain and
range of motion of the knee. Level of Evidence I, Randomized
Clinical Trial.
Keywords: Cryotherapy. Anterior cruciate ligament. Pain mea-
surement. Range of motion, articular.
Citation: Dambros C, Martimbianco ALC, Polachini LO, Lahoz GL, Chamlian TR, Cohen M. Effectiveness of cryotherapy after anterior cruciate ligament reconstruction. Acta
Ortop Bras. [online]. 2012;20(5): 285-90. Available from URL: http://www.scielo.br/aob.
07 - aob 622
Acta Ortop Bras. 2012;20(5): 285-90
ORIGINAL ARTICLE
Article received on 3/22/2012 and approved on 4/12/2012.
INTRODUCTION
The knee joint is a complex structure, capable of providing
stability and mobility to the human body, functions guaran-
teed mainly by the bone, ligament and muscle structures that
compose this articular complex. Nevertheless, this region is
constantly exposed to stress, since it absorbs a large part of
the bodyweight impact during the movements of the human
body, and is considered one of the joints that sustains the most
injuries.
1
Knee ligament injuries are very common nowadays, and are
considered epidemiological in nature, particularly in sports.
2

The anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) is the most affected liga-
ment, especially in individuals aged between 15 and 25 years
who are assiduous athletes,
3
while the incidence of isolated
ACL tears is 30% per year and more than 100 thousand surgical
reconstruction procedures are performed annually in the United
States. ACL injuries are frequently associated with meniscal
injuries in 96% of chronic injuries and 82% of acute injuries.
4-6
The treatment for ligament injuries is frequently surgical, as it
aims to restore the anatomical and functional stability of the
knee joint, allowing the individual to return to preoperative activ-
ity levels, thus improving their quality of life.
3,7
ACL reconstruc-
tion is a procedure widely researched by the scientific commu-
nity, with a certain degree of controversy still existing. The gold
standard for this surgery is performance through arthroscopy,
a less invasive technique than open surgery and that affords a
more accelerated rehabilitation process.
The rehabilitation process is essential and targets, after ACL
reconstruction surgery, the reduction of pain, edema and in-
flammatory process; improvement of neuromuscular control,
muscle strength, range of motion, gait and proprioception.
4,7

Accelerated rehabilitation protocols have been considered
more effective and indicate early mobilization and weight bear-
ing, yet in this phase the pain and edema can interfere in the
rehabilitation process, hampering the individuals return to their
routine activities and their functionality.
8

Cryotherapy is a method used to alleviate the pain and to de-
crease edema during rehabilitation, as a low-cost technique of
easy access, commonly employed in musculoskeletal disorders,
especially in acute soft-tissue injuries. Some studies demonstrate
that after ACL reconstruction surgery, cryotherapy promotes the
reduction of pain, drug intake, length of hospital stay, the im-
provement of knee ROM and the patients quality of life.
9-11
Despite the widespread use of cryotherapy, there are still differ-
ences of opinion in the literature concerning the effectiveness
of its various application methods and the quantification of
286
Acta Ortop Bras. 2012;20(5): 285-90
variables such as frequency, duration and best time for use.
The cryotherapy application time ranges between 10 and 20
minutes, from two to four times a day.
10,12
Based on the hypothesis that cryotherapy is effective in reduc-
ing pain and improving knee ROM, during the immediate post-
ACL reconstruction surgery rehabilitation process, the purpose
of this study was to standardize an inpatient physiotherapy
protocol associated with the use of cryotherapy.
Objective
To evaluate the effectiveness of cryotherapy in relation to the
improvement of pain and knee ROM in adults submitted to ACL
reconstruction surgery.
METHODS
Pilot study of a randomized prospective clinical trial, carried out
at a tertiary care Public Teaching Hospital located in the city
and state of So Paulo.
Sample
The sample followed the inclusion criteria: adult individuals
(over 18), both sexes, submitted to elective ACL reconstruction
surgery, isolated, or associated with partial or total meniscec-
tomy of one meniscus or both. The exclusion criteria were: com-
plex knee injuries; patients with vasospastic disorders, such as
Raynauds phenomenon, Livedo reticularis or acrocyanosis;
sensibility alterations such as hypersensitivity to cold, hives,
purpura, or deficit in deep or superficial sensibility, i.e., tactile
or painful, detected through previous evaluation.
The individuals were recruited electively for surgery and were
invited to take part in the study on the first day of hospitaliza-
tion (preoperative period), and after acceptance, signed the
Informed Consent Form, and were then randomized to one
of the two groups (A - Intervention and B - Control).
The sample size was calculated and consisted of 100 par-
ticipants; however, as this is a pilot study (which uses at least
10% of the calculated sample), a minimum of 10 participants
would be necessary.
Randomization
The generation of the allocation sequence was performed by
an individual not involved in the study. The sequential numbers
were kept in opaque, non-translucent, sealed envelopes, and
were only delivered to the therapist involved in the study at the
time of the allocation of the individual, i.e., on the first postop-
erative day.
Procedures
The procedures and interventions used in the present study are
in accordance with ethical principles and were evaluated and
approved by the Research Ethics Committee of Universidade
Federal de So Paulo Escola Paulista de Medicina (protocol
CEP 1025/10).
The patients included in the study were assessed by an evalu-
ator aware of the survey objectives, on the first postoperative
day.
The care protocol prepared by the Physiotherapy Team of the
Orthopedic and Traumatology Ward of Hospital So Paulo
(UNIFESP-EPM) (Table 1), was applied on the first postopera-
tive day, in both groups (A and B). However, in the Intervention
group (A), the patients received the application of an ice pack
(using crushed ice wrapped in sterile plastic material) in the
anterior region of the affected knee, with the limb elevated,
for 20 minutes.
All the physiotherapy sessions were held twice a day, in the
morning and in the afternoon.
Outcomes
The measurement of pain intensity used the Visual Analog Scale
(VAS) of pain, at the beginning and at the end of all the phys-
iotherapy sessions, in both groups. VAS is represented by a
100mm dash, and is interpreted as follows: values of 0-4mm
can be considered without pain, 5-44 mm medium pain, 45-
74mm moderate pain and 75-100mm severe pain.
13
The evaluation of the knee flexion and extension ROM was
executed in degrees, through goniometry,
14
using a universal
goniometer of plastic material. The articular line of the knee
was used as an axis to position the goniometer, while the fixed
arm remained parallel to the lateral surface of the femur in the
direction of the greater trochanter, and the mobile arm remained
parallel to the lateral side of the fibula in the direction of the
lateral malleolus. Standard values of 90for knee flexion and 0
for extension were considered on the first postoperative day.
15
STATISTICAL ANALYSIS
The results were presented through a descriptive analysis, with
mean and standard deviation. The evaluation of results was also
based on absolute and percentual improvement, with a com-
parison between the initial and final condition of the individuals
after the physiotherapy treatment, for groups (A) Intervention
and (B) Control. Absolute improvement demonstrates how many
degrees or how many centimeters altogether the patient has im-
proved, i.e., if the initial pain was 5 cm and the final pain 2 cm,
the absolute improvement is 3 cm. The percentual improvement
demonstrates the improvement in percentage at the end of the
physiotherapy treatment. In this example it would have been 60%.
Table 1. Post-ACL reconstruction rehabilitation protocol.
Post-ACL reconstruction rehabilitation protocol
Orthopedic and Traumatology Ward Unifesp/EPM
Daily Evaluation ROM and VAS
Patellar Mobilization (laterolateral and craniocaudal)
Isometry of quadriceps and gluteus
Progressive gain of ROM up to 90
O
of knee flexion
Gain of extension ROM
Exercises to strengthen the lateral rotators and hip abductors
Progressive partial weight bearing, if isolated ACL surgery, with auxiliary
device (crutches)
Weight bearing (foot strike), if associated with meniscectomy with auxiliary
device (crutches)
Positioning of the limb in elevation and extension
Metabolic exercises of the ankles
Control of pain and edema: Ice wrap in the anterior region of the knee, for 20
minutes (only in the Intervention Group)
287
Figure 1. CONSORT Flowchart.
Selected patients
(n=25)
randomized (n=25)
Cryotherapy Group
(n=10)
Analyzed (n=10)
Control Group
(n=9)
Analyzed (n=9)
Allocation
Analysis
excluded (n=6)
systemic diseases(n= 1)
other ligament injuries (n= 2)
osteochondroma removal (n=1)
did not undergo surgery (n=1)
had only 1 session (n=1)
Acta Ortop Bras. 2012;20(5): 285-90
RESULTS
The flowchart of participants is shown in Figure 1 and was
based on CONSORT (Consolidated Standard of Reporting Tri-
als, http://www.consort-statement.org/).
The total number of study participants was 25 individuals,
whereas after randomization the Intervention group was com-
posed of 10 individuals and the Control group of nine individuals.
There was loss of 24%, as they did not fulfill the inclusion criteria.
The causes for exclusion were: presence of systemic disease (n=
1), other ligament injuries (n= 2), removal of osteochondroma
in the same surgery (n=1), did not undergo surgery (n=1) and
attended only one physiotherapy session (n=1).
The characteristics of the sample are represented in Table 2. In
both groups, the participants received two physiotherapy ses-
sions on the first postoperative day, one of which was in the morn-
ing, and the other in the afternoon. The knee flexion and extension
ROM goniometric measurement was made at the start and at the
end of the physiotherapy sessions, whereas all these measure-
ments were submitted to the calculation of the mean and standard
deviation, and can be observed in Tables 3 and 4 and Figures
2 and 3. We can observe that the Intervention group obtained
an improvement in mean knee flexion ROM compared to the
Control group, and as regards to the mean knee extension ROM
the Intervention group started the physiotherapy treatment with a
greater knee extension deficit than the Control group. Neverthe-
less, at the end of the treatment the group achieved an improve-
ment in the mean knee extension goniometry in comparison to
the Control group.
The measurement of pain intensity using VAS, performed at the
beginning and end of the physiotherapy sessions, was submitted
to the calculation of the mean and standard deviation and can
be observed in Table 5 and in Figure 4. In the Intervention group
there was a decrease in the mean pain intensity at the end of the
physiotherapy sessions when compared to the Control group.
As regards the absolute and percentual improvement, in all out-
comes the Intervention group obtained an effective absolute and
percentual improvement when compared to the Control group.
The absolute improvement is represented in Figure 5, for knee
flexion ROM. The Intervention group presented an improvement
of 26.4 and 17.3 for the Control group, while the improve-
Table 2. Characteristics of the Sample.
Sample Intervention Group (n=10) Control Group (n=9)
Average age 31.9 (21-58 years) 27.22 (19-34 years)
Sex
Male n=10 n=9
Female n=0 n=0
Affected limb
Right n=5 n=6
Left n=5 n=3
Type of graft
Flexor Tendon n=10 n=9
Meniscal Injury n=6 n=7
Meniscectomy
Partial medial n=3 n=3
Partial medial and lateral n=2 n=4
Total medial and partial lateral n=1
Number of postoperative
sessions
n=2 n=2
Table 3. Mean and standard deviation of the range of motion of knee
fexion in the Intervention and Control group.
Flexion Intervention Group Mean (SD)
1
st
IPs 57.3 18.3
1
st
FPs 69.3 22.9
2
nd
IPs 70.8 11.8
2
nd
FPs 83.7 7.9
Flexion Control Group Mean (SD)
1
st
IPs 53.4 20.8
1
st
FPs 69.7 17.2
2
nd
IPs 63.7 11.0
2
nd
FPs 70.8 12.8
IPs: Initial physiotherapy session, FPs: Final physiotherapy session, SD: Standard Deviation.
Table 4. Mean and standard deviation of the range of motion of knee
extension in the Intervention and Control group.
Extension Intervention Group Mean (SD)
1
st
IPs -13.7 11.9
1
st
FPs -9.8 8.1
2
nd
IPs -10.1 8.5
2
nd
FPs -7.8 7.2
Extension Control Group Mean (SD)
1
st
IPs -7.3 4.5
1
st
FPs -6.1 4.0
2
nd
IPs -7.0 7.1
2
nd
FPs -5.8 5.8
IPs:Initial physiotherapy session, FPs: Final physiotherapy session, SD: Standard Deviation.
288
Figure 6. Percentual improvement of physiotherapy treatment in the
Intervention and Control groups in the range of motion of knee fexion
and extension and in pain after anterior cruciate ligament reconstruc-
tion surgery.
Figure 5. Absolute improvement of the physiotherapy treatment in the
Intervention and Control groups in the range of motion of knee fexion
and extension and in pain after anterior cruciate ligament reconstruc-
tion surgery.
Figure 4. Mean pain at rest in knee in the Intervention and Control
groups..
Figure 2. Mean range of motion of knee fexion in the Intervention
and Control groups.
Figure 3. Mean range of motion of knee extension in the Intervention
and Control groups.
Acta Ortop Bras. 2012;20(5): 285-90
ment for knee extension ROM was 5.9 in the Intervention group
and 1.6 in the Control group. As regards pain, the absolute
improvement was 1.6 cm in the Intervention group and 0.3
cm in the Control group. The percentual improvement is rep-
resented in Figure 6. In the Intervention group the percentual
improvement of the knee flexion ROM was 46.07% and in the
Control group it was 32.43%, while the percentual improve-
ment of knee extension ROM was 43.07% in the Intervention
group and 21.21% in the Control group. Finally, the percentual
improvement of pain was 57.65% in the Intervention group, but
only 11.07% in the Control group.
Table 5. Mean and standard deviation of Pain in the Intervention and
Control group.
Pain Intervention Group Mean (SD)
1
st
IPs 2.8 3.2
1
st
FPs 2.2 2.0
2
nd
IPs 1.42 1.5
2
nd
FPs 1.19 1.8
Pain Control Group Mean (SD)
1
st
IPs 2.8 3.1
1
st
FPs 2.4 2.4
2
nd
IPs 1.8 2.0
2
nd
FPs 2.5 2.0
IPs: Initial physiotherapy session, FPs: Final physiotherapy session, SD: Standard Deviation.
Flexion ROM
Absolute Improvement Treatment
Percentual Improvement Treatment
Pain
Pain
Extension ROM
Sessions
Sessions
Sessions
Flexion
Extension
Intervention Flexion
Intervention Pain
A
b
s
o
l
u
t
e

I
m
p
r
o
v
e
m
e
n
t
P
e
r
c
e
n
t
u
a
l

I
m
p
r
o
v
e
m
e
n
t

Intervention Extension
1
st
Sess
1
st
Sess
Initial
Initial
Initial
Initial
Final
Final
Final
Final
2
st
Sess
2
st
Sess
1
st
Sess
1
st
Sess
2
st
Sess
2
st
Sess
Control Flexion
Control Pain
Control Extension
1
st
Sess
Initial
ROM Flexion
Intervention
ROM Flexion
Intervention
ROM Flexion
Control
ROM Flexion
Control
ROM
Extension
Intervention
ROM
Extension
Intervention
ROM
Extension
Control
ROM
Extension
Control
Pain
Control
Pain
Control
Type of Treatment
Type of Treatment
Pain
Intervention
Pain
Intervention
Initial Final Final
2
st
Sess 1
st
Sess 2
st
Sess
289
Acta Ortop Bras. 2012;20(5): 285-90
DISCUSSION
The objective of the present study was to evaluate the effect
of cryotherapy after ACL reconstruction surgery, measured
through knee ROM and VAS. As described in the literature,
we observed that the application of the ice pack is an effective
method for improving pain and knee ROM after ACL reconstruc-
tion surgery.
12,15,16
Warren et al.
17
demonstrated that in various
injuries of soft tissues of the knee, the ice wrap presented better
intra-articular temperature reduction in patients when compared
to the external knee cooling device (Cryocuff

).
The association of cryotherapy with compression and eleva-
tion of the limb can be considered a factor of improvement
for individuals as regards the analyzed outcomes. Bleakley et
al.,
12
in a systematic review, presented several comparisons
between ice application methods, demonstrating that associ-
ating cryotherapy with compression and elevation is effective
when compared to cryotherapy alone, yet this study did not
present an appropriate duration for application of the ice. On
the other hand, Edwards et al.
18
compared the use of ice and
of compression with the non-application of cryotherapy and
showed similar effects between the groups, yet this study was
considered a high risk of methodological bias.
As regards the duration of cryotherapy application, differences
of opinion are found in the literature, and it can range from
10 to 20 minutes to 30 to 45 minutes. In the systemic review
mentioned previously concerning the application of ice, few
studies evaluated the effectiveness of ice after injuries to the
soft tissues and there was no evidence of the best method and
duration of the treatment. As a conclusion, further studies need
to be conducted with better standardization of this method in
order to clarify which parameter is best for increasing the ef-
fectiveness of cryotherapy.
12
It can also be emphasized that the effectiveness of an accel-
erated physiotherapy protocol in this study brought about an
improvement in the outcomes analyzed in the two groups. The
subject of physiotherapy treatment after ACL reconstruction has
recently been researched in depth by various authors, conse-
quently there is a focus on the accelerated physiotherapy pro-
tocol since in the immediate postoperative period, it promotes
a decrease in hospitalization time besides an improvement of
knee ROM and of function.
19
As regards the characteristics of the sample, there were no
major differences between the Intervention and Control groups
in relation to age of the participants. They were all male, under-
went surgery with the same type of graft from tendons of the
knee flexor muscles and attended two physiotherapy sessions
on the first postoperative day. These findings corroborate those
of a review, showing that gender did not produce differences in
relation to the results found, and it is hard to determine whether
there is an effect of age in the groups or not.
19

The Intervention
and Control groups had some differences with regards to the
surgery performed, relating only to whether surgery actually
occurred or not, and to the type of meniscectomy; however,
the patients were randomized before the surgery to one of the
two groups and thus the surgical approach to be adopted was
not known.
The procedures and assessment of the patients were not blind,
which can be considered a bias in the results of the present
study, yet it is worth mentioning that the tools, such as the
goniometry and the Visual Analog Scale of pain, are a routine
practice for physiotherapists in the hospital environment. In this
study there was a standardization of the evaluation, which
consisted of only one evaluator, yet trained to perform the
goniometric measurement through a correct positioning of
the goniometer and of the individual, and we also standard-
ized the method of application of the Visual Analog Scale
of pain, particularly in relation to the verbal command and
explanation of the extreme points of the scale: without pain
and maximum pain.
VAS is the pain intensity scale most frequently found in clini-
cal trials.
8,9,13,14
As it is a subjective scale, differences can be
found and questioned among individuals. Pain is considered
an unpleasant sensory and emotional experience, presenting a
threshold that can vary among people and the ability to tolerate
pain varies according to personality, mood and the circum-
stances of each individual. VAS does not evaluate pain in an
objective and direct manner - it only allows us to question the
individual to obtain an estimate of the pain that they were feel-
ing at a particular time. For this reason we cannot affirm that
the results found among the participants are reliable, but we
can correlate the effects at the beginning and at the end of the
rehabilitation in the opinion of a single individual.
According to the results of the VAS, the Intervention group (A)
had a decrease in mean pain when compared with the Con-
trol group (B), but we can observe that in the Control group
the point of the second session (afterwards) presents a value
that is inconsistent with the normal evolution of the treatment.
This point may be due to the small number of participants of
this study, but even if we disregard this value, the Intervention
group (A) still presents an important improvement in the mean
initial and final pain of the sessions when compared with the
Control group. The findings of this study are in accordance
with those found in literature, and the studies indicate reduc-
tion of knee pain intensity with the use of cryotherapy after the
ACL reconstruction surgery
8
and cryotherapy in the immediate
postoperative period as it is an inexpensive measure of easy
access and with a high level of satisfaction among individuals.
16
When pain intensity is related to the different types of surgical
approach, with regards to whether meniscectomy occurred
or not, it is worth pointing out that in literature, a study that
compared groups in which the individuals did not undergo
meniscectomy, or had meniscal resection, or meniscal suturing,
evaluating the evolution of pain intensity over the seven days
of ACL reconstruction surgery postoperative period, showed
that there were no significant differences in pain intensity, using
VAS,
20
which corroborates the findings of our study.
The results found for knee flexion ROM showed that the mean
goniometry had an important improvement in the Intervention
group at the beginning and at the end of the second session,
when compared to the Control group. Although the Control
group had a better mean knee extension ROM value than the
Intervention group at the end, it cannot be said that the treat-
ment without ice was better, since on average the individuals
of the Control group started the treatment in a better state than
those of the Intervention group. It can also be perceived that in
the Control group there was practically no improvement since
the initial condition, while the Intervention group started with
290
Acta Ortop Bras. 2012;20(5): 285-90
greater extension deficit than the control group, but had an
important improvement in the mean knee extension ROM.
According to similar studies, there is a difference of opinion
in relation to the improvement of knee ROM with the use of
cryotherapy after ACL reconstruction surgery. The studies indi-
cate that there was no significant improvement of ROM in the
group that made use of ice, when compared with the control
group; however, these studies do not describe how and when
the goniometry was performed, they just report that the two
groups obtained an increase in the ROM of the knee in the
postoperative period.
14,16
Finally, in relation to the absolute and percentual improvement
of the treatment, with baseline in the initial condition and at
the end of the physiotherapy treatment, the Intervention group
achieved an important absolute and percentual improvement
when compared with the Control group, for the parameters of
pain intensity, flexion ROM and knee extension.
Thus, the use of cryotherapy is directly related to the immediate
postoperative period and the prognosis of functionality after
hospital discharge. After using ice, the patients, already in the
hospital environment, manage to improve the parameters of
pain and ROM, reducing the hospital stay time, the expenses
of the health system with the hospitalization and the therapy of
analgesic medications, therefore also improving the quality of
life and satisfaction of the individuals. An important fact is that
cryotherapy is a rehabilitation method of easy application that
can be guided and recommended for use at home, to assist in
the progress of rehabilitation, avoiding the persistence of pain,
edema, inflammation and complications in the postoperative
period such as decreased range of movement in the joints,
motor control and gait alterations.
7
Therefore, the use of ice is
geared towards functional improvement and the return of indi-
viduals to the level of activities of daily living prior to the injury.
This study, as is the case of a pilot study, demonstrated good
results with cryotherapy use after ACL reconstruction surgery
in a reduced population. The authors intend to continue with
this work to be able to conclude whether this type of therapy
really is effective and safe, since it is a highly accessible, low-
cost method, and future surveys with adequate methodological
criteria would contribute to the scientific community, aiming to
improve the satisfaction and quality of life of individuals after
this surgical procedure.
CONCLUSION
Cryotherapy in the immediate postoperative period in associa-
tion with an exercise protocol was effective in improving pain
and range of knee joint motion in adults submitted to ACL re-
construction surgery, with application time of 20 minutes and
carried out twice a day.
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