Bone swelling

[cadenz2]

There is a full thickness tear of the articular cartilage of the medial facet (diagnosed via arthroscopy).

[physiobob]

There is a full thickness tear of the articular cartilage of the medial facet (diagnosed via arthroscopy).

Hmm, I suppose then that this is really bone swelling as such. Intra-articular capsular swelling (Effusion) might well be present though. As the surgeon if the joint was bloody or not. Then check yourself if the joint is still warm to the touch compared to the other knee. Warmth would indicate an active process still present whereas a normal temperature might indicate residual effusion that just takes time to be reabsorbed. Everyone is different in the timing for that.

The real issue is then one of bone trauma and bruising. Weight bearing in the painful range with probably be symptomatic and not help with a fast recovery. I would suggest you are looking at least for 6 weeks for things to settle. Pulsed Magnetic Therapy I believe has shown to be useful in accelerating bone healing and maybe this works with articular cartilage as well? Can you give more information as to the actual trauma that caused this, and also the age and physical status of the client. For now my only advice would be to keep the joint mobile but do not place any compressive loads in the specific range that would impact on the tear. Hope this helps you a little with what you are trying to achieve