Basic Premises and Hypotheses of CPM
Robert B. Salter, OC, MD, MS, FRCSC, was the originator of the biologic concept of CPM. He was a pioneer in the field of orthopaedic surgery. Dr. Salter served as Chief of Orthopaedic Surgery at Toronto's Hospital for Sick Children for over 40 years and has published more than 150 articles.
Honors:
- 1969 Gairdner International Award for Medical Science
- Induction into the Canadian Medical Hall of Fame
- 1997 F.N.G. Starr Award
Dr. Salter is a world-renowned surgeon, teacher, and scientist. He now serves as the surgeon-in-cheif emeritus and senior orthopaedic surgeon emeritus at the Hospital for Sick Children.
Basic Premise and Hypotheses of CPM
The basic premises that led Dr. Salter to the concept of CPM were:
- Synovial joints were meant to move and actually deteriorate when not allowed to do so
- Motion enhances nutrition to the articular cartilage surface of synovial joints by facilitating the movement of synovial fluid into and out of the cartilage matrix
- The synovial membrane should glide over the articular surface and becomes adherent to the underlying cartilage if prevented from doing so
- Synovial joints were meant to last a lifetime. With these premises in mind, Dr. Salter hypothesized that continuous passive motion should have the following effects on synovial joints: Enhance metabolic activity and joint nutrition
- Stimulate pluripotential cells to differentiate into hyaline cartilage rather than fibrocartilage or bone, thereby leading to healing and regeneration of hyaline cartilage
- Accelerate healing of articular cartilage and periarticular structures, such as tendons and ligaments
