Rehabilitation After ACL Surgery

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Posted on Tuesday, January 3, 2017 in Orthopedics

Dr. David J. Anderson, an orthopedic specialist at Signature Medical Group, outlines these steps in your rehabilitation after ACL surgery:

Days 1-3 after surgery

  1. Work on ad/abduction and extension straight leg raises.
  2. Do weight bearing as tolerated in brace with knee locked in extension.
  3. Work on knee extensions (heel of pillow, prone hangs.)

Days 3-14

  1. Do hamstring curls.
  2. Bear weight on knee as tolerated in brace.
  3. Do knee extensions (prone hangs with two-pound weights if not full, towel extensions, wall slides).

Weeks 2-4

  1. Place custom brace on knee.
  2. Add stationary bike, StairMaster, leg press, quarter squats to your workout.

Weeks 4-10

Add swimming, cycling, jump rope, jogging to your workout.

Weeks 10-16

Begin sport-specific activities, agility drills.

Week 16

You can possibly return to your sports activity with a custom derotation brace. Your surgical knee needs to have strength equal to 90 percent of the nonsurgical knee with no pain or effusion.