Accelerating Recovery: Vibration Therapy Approach Along with Conventional Therapy in Knee Unhappy Triad” A Case Study

Background: Unhappy Triad is a severe knee injury which involves injury to the Anterior Cruciate ligament, Medial Collateral Ligament and Medial Meniscus with prevalence of 15.3% in non-contact sports and 34.2% in contact sports, which further impacts the physical abilities and sports performance.1 Vibration Therapy Device (VTD) is an adjunct to rehabilitate the patients with prolonged immobility, disuse, muscular pain and proven to be effective.2 As there is paucity of literature on effect of VTD in complex, terrible knee injuries, hence this case study was conducted on effectiveness of Vibration Therapy Device on rehabilitation in a patient with Unhappy Triad.  Objective: To assess the impact of Vibration Therapy Device on pain, range of motion (ROM) of knee joint, and functional performance, in a patient with Unhappy triad.  Methods: After Ethical Approval from Institutional Ethical Committee, the reported case with no significant medical history, was selected for the study. Baseline assessment was carried out for Pain, Range of Motion and Functional Outcome. The intervention involved VTD applied on the quadriceps, hamstrings, IT Band and calf muscles Thrice a week for total 12 weeks, alongside a standard rehabilitation program.  Results: After 12 weeks of, VTD the patient demonstrated significant pain reduction, increased knee ROM and Enhanced functional mobility.  Conclusion: Vibration Therapy Device, when integrated with standard rehabilitation, showed reduction in pain and improvement in range of motion and functional outcomes, in a patient with Unhappy triad. These findings suggest that vibration therapy along with conventional therapy will be a valuable adjunct in knee injury rehabilitation.