Your ACL, or anterior cruciate ligament, is one of the supports that holds your knee joint together and joins the upper and lower leg bones, the femur and the tibia. ACL injuries severe enough to require surgical repair are fixed through a procedure called an ACL reconstruction. During reconstruction surgery, you'll have a new ligament, formed from your own body's tissues or from a donor, inserted into the area in which your own ACL has been damaged. Exercises to regain your flexibility and range of motion are part of the recovery process.
Step 1
Begin the gentlest of stretches on the first postoperative day to maintain flexibility of your knee joint. Your medical care provider will place a rolled-up towel under your heel to hyperextend your knee for 10 minutes every hour. This exercise is a passive range of motion exercise, meaning that you do not have to participate much other than keeping your leg in in the position in which it's been manipulated.
Step 2
Gain leg control with heel height exercises during the first week after your ACL reconstruction, the UK-based Chester Knee Clinic and Cartilage Centre recommends. Though you will spend most of this week in bed, your physical therapist will assess how high you can lift your heel off of the bed. Tighten your thigh muscles--the quadriceps--as you keep your knee straight and lift up your heel.
Step 3
Perform ankle pumps and quad sets while you are still recovering in bed, suggests Dr. Robert F. LaPrade of the University of Minnesota's Sports Medicine Institute. Point your foot with toes straight out in front of you, and then flex your foot so that your toes point toward the ceiling to complete an ankle pump. Keep your leg flat on the bed and tighten the quad muscles in your thigh for six seconds to complete one repetition in a quad set.
Aim for 30 repetitions of each exercises, several times each day.
Step 4
Flex, or bend, your knee while sitting in a chair as part of your ACL reconstruction recovery once you are home. Gradually work up to being your knee a full 90 degrees while placing your foot flat on the floor.
Step 5
Walk, with the aid of crutches, to exercise your injured knee. Weight bearing is encouraged very early on after surgery, according to the Chester Knee Clinic, though you will most likely only be able to manage short distances, such as to the bathroom and back to your bed or chair. Have a friend or family member available to assist you if needed.
Step 6
Improve your muscle control by stretching out your hamstrings, the muscles located in the back of your thighs. Lie on your bed or the floor with your good knee bent and your foot on the floor. Loop a towel around the back of your healing knee, holding onto the ends of the towel, one in each hand. Gently pull on the towel to bring your leg closer to your body. Hold the position for 10 seconds before releasing.
Things You'll Need
- Towel
- Chair
References
- Sports Medicine Institute, University of Minnesota Orthpaedics: Postoperative Rehabilitation Protocol for Anterior Cruciate Ligament Reconstruction
- Chester Knee Clinic and Cartilage Repair Centre: Accelerated ACL Reconstruction Rehabilitation Program
- American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons: ACL Injury: Does it Require Surgery?
- MedlinePlus: ACL Reconstruction
- York Hospital: Exercises After Hip Surgery: Ankle Pump, Quad Sets, Gluteal Sets
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