Rehab Knee Chondroplasty
  • Sports Medicine

  • Knee Surgery

  • Shoulder Surgery

  • Elbow Surgery

  • Hip Surgery

  • Ankle Surgery

  • Arthroscopic Surgery

Rehab Knee Chondroplasty

Acute Phase I: (0-2 weeks)

Goals:

  • Alleviate acute pain and swelling
  • Increase ROM
  • Increase hip, hamstring and quadriceps strength
  • Promote normal ambulation
  • Maintain cardiovascular conditioning

Plan:

  • ROM as tolerated
  • Heel/wall slides for ROM
  • Aquatic therapy
  • Hamstring and gastroc stretching
  • Kinesiotaping as necessary
  • Bicycle as tolerated
  • Patellar mobilization
  • Hamstring and quadriceps co-contraction
  • 4-Quad (hip flexion, abduction, adduction, extension)
  • Modalities for pain and edema control

Sub-Acute Phase I: (2-4 weeks)

Goals:

  • Decrease swelling
  • Increase ROM
  • Increase strength hip/knee
  • Improve general conditioning
  • Independent ambulation w/o assistive device

Plan:

  • Continue Phase I exercises
  • N-K for hamstrings only
  • ROM knee flex/ext as tolerated
  • Stairmaster, treadmill, Elliptical (Pain free)
  • Universal equipment PRE’s – leg press ¼ – ½
  • Proprioceptive and balance training BAPS and trampoline
  • Calf raises,
  • Aquatic therapy
  • Avoid knee extension exercises

Phase III: (4-6 weeks)

Goals:

  • Full ROM (pain free)
  • Increase functional strength

Plan

  • Continue Phase II exercises
  • Increase closed chain activities
  • Increase proprioception activity

WEIGHT BEARING

BRACE

ROM

THERAPEUTIC EXERCISES**

Initial post-op

0-6 weeks

NWB with brace locked in full extension.

0-90° for all activities (including sleeping) – remove for exercise and CPM use (if applicable).

0-90°.

AROM/AARPOM to tolerance, quad/ham/glut sets, ankle pumps, calf/ hamstring stretches***, SLR with brace locked in full extension, resisted plantarflexion.

At 6-8 weeks:

advance to a protected gait pattern with crutches ( about 50% of your weight )

Removed for sleeping.

Increase motion exercises to 120°.

Progress exercises in first phase, SLR without brace if able to maintain full extension, initiate stationary bike with low resistance.

8 weeks- 12 weeks

Full, without use of crutches and with a normalized gait pattern.

D/C per physician.

Progress to full and pain free.

Mini-squats 0-45°-, leg press 0-60°, closed chain terminal knee extensions, toe raises, balance activities, hamstring curls, increase to moderate resistance on bike.

EXPECTED RECOVERY:

  • Walking without crutches approximately 6-8 weeks after surgery
  • Back to work within 3-4 months following surgery if laborer, desk type work may return 2-3 weeks following surgery.
  • Progress back to sports after 3-4 months