
Cryotherapy is the most commonly accepted and widely used method of treatment to mitigate pain and swelling in patients following ACL surgery. The goal of this controlled trial was to compare subjective and objective patient outcomes following ACL reconstruction with combined compression and cryotherapy in comparison with traditional ice therapy alone. Patients undergoing ACL reconstruction were randomized to cryotherapy/compression device (group 1) or a standardized ice pack (group 2).
The use of combined cryotherapy and compression in the postoperative period after ACL reconstruction results in improved, short-term pain relief and a greater likelihood of independence from narcotic use compared with cryotherapy alone.
Following the trial and data analysis, researchers identified these key results:
- The use of combined cryotherapy and compression in the postoperative period after ACL reconstruction results in improved, short-term pain relief
- The use of combined cryotherapy and compression in the postoperative period after ACL reconstruction also results in a greater likelihood of independence from narcotic use compared with cryotherapy alone
- Of all patients, 83% of group 1 (cryo + compression) discontinued narcotic use by 6 weeks, compared with only 28% of group 2 (ice only)
Access the full case study: The efficacy of combined cryotherapy and compression compared with cryotherapy alone following anterior cruciate ligament reconstruction