Published online Jul 6, 2024. doi: 10.12998/wjcc.v12.i19.3971
Revised: April 30, 2024
Accepted: May 17, 2024
Published online: July 6, 2024
Processing time: 122 Days and 3 Hours
Pigmented villonodular synovitis (PVNS) is a benign proliferative disorder that affects the synovial joints, bursae, and tendon sheaths. To date, few studies have reported on the treatment of postoperative pain and edema in patients with PVNS. Herein, we present the case of a woman who developed pain and edema in the left lower limb 1 wk after synovectomy and arthroscopic partial meniscectomy and was unable to walk due to limited flexion and extension of the left knee.
A 32-year-old woman underwent synovectomy and arthroscopic partial meniscectomy successively and was treated with a combination of manual lymphatic drainage (MLD) and kinesio taping (KT) in our hospital to alleviate postoperative pain and edema. The following parameters were assessed at 2 wk post-treatment and 1 wk post-discharge follow up: suprapatellar circumference, infrapatellar circumference, visual analog scale score, knee range of motion, pittsburgh sleep quality index score, hamilton anxiety rating scale (HAMA) score, and hamilton depression rating scale (HAMD) score. After treatment, the postoperative pain and edema in the patient’s left knee were effectively relieved, resulting in improved sleep quality and remarkably attenuated HAMA and HAMD scores.
Combined MLD and KT may be an effective approach for relieving postoperative pain and edema in patients with PVNS.
Core Tip: We report the case of a 32-year-old woman who was diagnosed with pigmented villonodular synovitis (PVNS) and had undergone synovectomy and arthroscopic partial meniscectomy; however, her daily life activities were severely affected by pain and swelling after surgery. She was treated with a combination of manual lymphatic drainage (MLD) and kinesio taping (KT) to relieve postoperative pain and edema. After 2 wk, her pain and edema were markedly alleviated, and her knee flexion function gradually improved. This case indicates that the MLD and KT combination treatment may effectively relieve postoperative pain and edema in patients with PVNS.