In the late 70’s it was starting to become an autonomous profession, prior to this the Physiotherapist had to do the treatment requested by the GP or Consultant. This was a large step forward to where we are today; we are now able to assess, diagnose, plan and treat our patients as we see fit, supplying the evidence to back up our clinical reasoning.
I trained at the Oswestry and North Staffordshire School of Physiotherapy, with most of my time spent at the Robert Jones and Agnes Hunt Orthopaedic Hospital, a large centre of research and teaching, which was and still is at the cutting edge of treatment. Total joint replacements were then hospitalised for two weeks post-operatively, and allowed home once the sutures were removed and the patient was safely independent. Now, most patients are discharged on the 3rd day post op, many on their second day.
Similarly meniscal surgery involved an open joint procedure, more than likely removal of the whole meniscus, with a full length plaster cast and probable discharge by day 5-7. With the development of arthroscopic techniques, people are now often discharged after only half a day in hospital, with as much of the meniscus preserved as possible; the integrity of the joint is thought to be very important now.
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