The use of continuous passive motion after arthroscopically assisted anterior cruciate ligament reconstruction: help or hindrance?

One hundred and eight patients having undergone arthroscopic anterior cruciate replacement and having had continuous passive motion (CPM) as part of their immediate post-operative regime were prospectively compared with 108 patients having an identical operative procedure but not receiving CPM. All patients were operated on by the same surgeon, and the two groups were well matched for age, weight and associated injuries and procedures. Those not receiving CPM required significantly less analgesia (P = 0.0001), had less blood loss measured in the drains (P = 0.001) and had a shorter hospital stay (P = 0.0001). At review 6 months after surgery, there was no significant difference between the two groups in the range of movement of the operated leg compared to the normal leg.