Different Cryocompression Devices and Skin Temperature of the Knee

Plain-language summary

Cryotherapy after surgery is widely utilised and has numerous practical applications for post-operative rehabilitation. Previous research has suggested that during cold therapy, the skin temperature of the knee should be reduced to 10-15°C to maximise the therapeutic benefits of cooling while avoiding the risk of cold injuries such as nerve damage and frostbite (Wilke and Weiner, 2003; Bleakley, McDonough and MacAuley, 2004). However, a recent study noted that where cryocompression devices have previously been used to reduce the skin temperature \<10°C, no complications relating to the device have been reported, suggesting that the risk to the user at these lower temperatures is minimal (Bellon et al., 2019). The temperature range at which a cryocompression device should be set in order to achieve a skin temperature within the therapeutic range of 10-15°C is unknown. Furthermore, there is evidence to suggest that the temperature setting of the device does not equal that to which the skin is reduced (Selfe et al., 2009). Therefore, it is not sufficient to assume that the temperature setting of a cryocompression device accurately reflects skin temperature. Modern cryotherapy devices often consist of some sort of cuff that can be wrapped around the knee, with a connecting tube to a central unit that supplies and circulates ice-water to and from the cuff in order to cool the intended body part. Such devices offer differing levels of control over the temperature of the ice-water as it leaves the central unit, but nothing is known about how this correlates to the skin temperatures that are achieved during a cryotherapy treatment. The aim of this study is to determine the ability of five different cryocompression.devices to effectively lower the skin temperature of the treatment area to within the therapeutic range.

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