To evaluate the effect of early and individual rehabilitation training after transplantation for patients with arthroscopic osteochondral autologous transplantation.

Thirty-seven patients who received autogenous osteochondral transplantation in the First People′s Hospital of Huzhou from January 2016 to January 2017 for the treatment of knee joint cartilage defect were selected, among whom there were 27 cases of cartilage damage in femoral internal condyle bearing surface and 10 cases of cartilage damage in external condyle bearing surface. The depth of cartilage defect was graded according to the international society for cartilage repair standard, with 3 cases of grade Ⅱ and 34 cases of grade Ⅲ respectively. The cartilage damage area of 34 cases was between 1.5 cm² and 3.0 cm^2, and 3 cases was more than 3 cm². Functional archives of patients were established through preoperative evaluation and individualized rehabilitation training programs were formulated preoperative. Meanwhile, all the patient participated in rehabilitation classes. Early functional exercise was performed according to the training programs after operation. Knee joint function before and after osteochondral autologous transplantation was evaluated by Brittberg-Peterson functional assessment criteria. The paired t-test was used to compare the Brittberg-Peterson functional scores before and after osteochondral autologous transplantation. P<0.05 was considered statistically significant.

Thirty-seven patients were followed up for 12 to 20 months up to January 2017, no loss of follow-up. Magnetic resonance imaging of the knee joint was performed 12 months after surgery, indicating that the cartilage surface was flat in the original cartilage defect area, and the position of the transplanted osteochondral column was good. After rehabilitation training, the Brittberg-Peterson functional assessment standard score of 37 patients with knee joint function was (62.2±1.4) points, which was lower than the preoperative (81.6±1.2) points, the difference was statistically significant (t=63.21, P<0.05); 13 items of Brittberg-Peterson functional assessment standard scores, such as joint lock, joint swelling, running pain, joint pain, were better than preoperative, and significantly lower than preoperative (P all <0.05).

Early individualized rehabilitation training has a significant effect on the improvement of knee joint function after osteochondral autologous transplantation.