In the article, we will consider what rehabilitation consists of after reconstructing PKS. Most often, people leading an active lifestyle injure their legs. Tears and cracks in the ligaments of the knee joint do not give a full life. Therapy in most cases consists in surgical intervention, during which the torn ligament is replaced with a graft.
After surgery to reconstruct the anterior cruciate ligament, you will spend several days in the hospital, where treatment will be provided aimed at ensuring favorable wound healing.
The duration of the rehabilitation period
The rehabilitation period after PCS plastic surgery is 6-12 months. Recovery time is conventionally divided into the following main stages:
- Rehabilitation in a hospital. Takes an average of 15 days.
- Home Rehabilitation. Takes about 6-12 months.
Rehabilitation after plastic surgery
Inpatient rehabilitation is primarily aimed at the successful regeneration of damaged tissues. Most attention is paid to decongestant and anti-inflammatory therapy.
In the first 12 hours after surgery, the operated knee is covered with ice. In the next 1-2 days, the patient is completely prohibited from any activity of the limb. The knee joint is fixed with a plaster cast or orthosis. After plastic surgery, the foot should be kept on a raised platform.
From the third day, the patient is allowed to get out of bed, move with crutches, excluding reliance on the operated limb. This should be done with extreme caution to prevent re-injury to the knee. If it is possible to rent crutches, it is better to do so. There is no need to buy them, they are unlikely to be needed for a long time.
The removal of sutures after PKC of the knee joint occurs as standard - on the 10-12th day of hospital stay. It is worth noting that the doctor, with the daily treatment of sutures with antiseptic medicines and examination, may recommend additional medication. The main goal of such actions is to reduce the likelihood of complications.
Rehabilitation at home
Rehabilitation after plastic surgery of PCS at home takes an average of six months. This time is divided into stages, each of which has its own features and recommendations.
The first stage of rehabilitation
This stage after plastic surgery of the PCB of the knee joint takes 3-4 weeks. Key recommendations for recovery remain the same. At this time, therapy aimed at eliminating edema and inflammation should be maintained. Physical exercises are added to it. They are needed to develop joints and tone muscles.
At this stage of rehabilitation after plastic surgery of the anterior cruciate ligament, the following exercises should be performed:
- Sequential tension of the muscle structures of the lower limb from top to bottom from a lying or sitting position. At the end of this exercise, you should maintain a state of tension for several seconds. It is necessary to perform 5-10 repetitions during the day.
- Lifting the legs to different heights from a sitting position with fixation at the lifting point for 8 seconds. Perform 10 reps in 3-4 sets. For each approach, it is recommended to change the height.
- Axillary crutches for adults. It is allowed to lean slightly on the leg. You need to exercise at least three times a day for 15 minutes.
Rehabilitologists recommend loading both limbs during exercise. According to studies, the effectiveness of alternate training increases significantly.
Second phase
What else does the recovery program after PCS plastic surgery suggest? This stage takes about one month. The main feature is the gradual refusal to use crutches, adding strength to all muscle groups to existing workouts.
You can perform the exercises in the gym with an instructor or at home on your own.
The following exercises are additional:
- Axillary crutches for adults are no longer needed. They walk with a cane. Perform the exercise several times a day, approximately 25 minutes.
- Flexion of the knee with effort in the supine position. This and subsequent exercises with power loads must be performed using a special rubber expander.
- Raising a limb from a position lying on its side. The expander should be located slightly above the knee joint.
- Lead limb forward from a prone position. In this case, the expander should be located in the ankle area.
It should be noted that the main goal of this recovery phase is the development of the knee joint. By its end, the range of motion of the injured leg should reach a maximum.
Third stage
It takes the next two months. This stage of recovery after PKS plastic implies regular classes in the gym. Positive dynamics in the recovery process is provided by a systematic increase in the load. The greatest benefit will be from training on a variety of power simulators, giving a load on all muscle groups, an exercise bike, balancing installations.
It is also important to remember the exercises described earlier. It is necessary to engage in 1 hour at least three times a week. Rehabilitologists recommend combining power and cardio loads to work out the muscle mass of both lower limbs to be more effective.
Fourth stage
The last stage of the rehabilitation course after surgery for plastic surgery of the anterior cruciate ligament of the knee joint lasts up to 6 months.
The main emphasis is on exercises that must be performed in a vertical plane (walking in a semi-squat, walking backward, abduction of legs using weighting materials). At the beginning and at the end of the workout, a warm-up should be carried out.
Ways to quickly and efficiently build muscle mass of the operated leg
Due to the prohibition of flexion of the operated limb and its low activity, muscle mass is reduced by about 20-30% compared to a healthy one. In this regard, it is necessary to pay special attention and sufficient time for strength exercises. Only an integrated approach allows you to quickly build up the missing muscle mass.
Rehabilitologists, in addition to visiting the gym, also recommend practicing in the pool. Water resistance exercises (kicking by the side, walking) favorably affect the process of muscle recovery.
In addition, it is recommended to undergo a course of physiotherapy procedures. Doctors believe that the most effective are myostimulation and shock wave therapy after PCS surgery. Reviews confirm this.
Exposure to a nerve and muscle tissue by an electric current of a certain frequency can reduce cramping and pain in the operated leg. In addition, the rate of elimination of toxic substances increases, the lymph flow increases.
Important physical activities during the rehabilitation period
There are quite a few physical exercises after plastic surgery. The most common, popular and often recommended exercise therapy instructors are the following:
- Training quadriceps. Perform the exercise while sitting. The operated leg must be held straight and pressed down so that the quadriceps muscle is stressed.
- Counteracting the ankle. You should take a reclining position, lean on your elbows, straighten your legs, lower your fingers down, and then pull yourself.
- Lifting the operated limb from various positions. It is necessary to take a reclining position on the side or back, lean on your elbows and raise your leg to a height of 15-35 cm, holding it at the top point and slowly returning back.
- Exercise against the wall with a fitball. The sports equipment needs to be fixed between a wall and a back. In this position, do squats with both legs at about 30 degrees. After several weeks, the exercise must be complicated by performing it alternately on one leg (first on a healthy one, then on the operated one).
- Stretching the heel on a flat surface. The operated limb should be placed on a firm and even surface, and then slowly bent, without tearing the heel off the surface. The angle at which the leg should be bent is strictly agreed upon with the instructor and depends on the rehabilitation period.
- Balancing classes. On the operated limb, you should wear a brace, stand on the platform with both legs, and lift the healthy one slightly up. This position must be held for about 20 seconds or more. A prerequisite is to maintain a slightly bent position of the supporting leg and, at the same time, balance. If balancing is difficult, you need to immediately stand on two legs, which will prevent the onset of repeated injury.
- Easy alternate trampolining. Exercise involves alternately jumping from one leg to another. It should be carried out, adhering to the wall with your hands.
Accelerating rehabilitation with exercises in the pool, hydromassage, massage, exercise therapy procedures
How to speed up recovery after plastic surgery? In the rehabilitation period, one of the most important components is the following procedures:
- A visit to the pool.
- Physiotherapy.
- Exercise therapy.
All these actions in the complex greatly facilitates the recovery process.
With therapeutic massage, tissue nutrition improves (bruising resolves, swelling is eliminated), muscle atrophy disappears, if any.
Through hydromassage, you can calm the nervous system, help muscles relax. Such procedures are especially effective after physical exertion in the gym.
The importance of dieting in the rehabilitation period
Of particular importance in the resolution of the knee during the rehabilitation period belongs to the correct diet. It is important to monitor your own weight, since overweight represents an additional burden on the body as a whole and the operated knee in particular.
Nutritionists in a similar situation recommend revising their own diet and reduce the amount of carbohydrates consumed. Compensate for their deficiency by consuming an increased amount of protein. In addition, it is important to eat a lot of fruits and vegetables.
It is worth noting that an important aspect of nutrition is the limited use of salt in cooking. Its excessive use leads to the fact that in the bone tissue the volume of salt deposits increases. As a result, the likelihood of repeated injury increases significantly.
Actions prohibited during the rehabilitation period
Among the main prohibitions during the entire rehabilitation period after surgery for plastic surgery, the following:
- Any kind of sport, snowboarding, skiing, biking, dancing and any other similar activity.
- Any active flexion and extension of the injured knee joint at an angle of more than 40 degrees.
Tips and tricks for traumatologists
In the rehabilitation period, if any questions arise, you need not to self-medicate, but immediately contact a qualified traumatologist. The doctor's recommendations are quite subjective for a particular patient and the recovery phase.
But, nevertheless, there are several general recommendations that a traumatologist gives to any patient with a knee injury:
- Sleep for at least 8 hours.
- Sun bathing with the aim of additional synthesis of vitamin D, in the absence of which calcium absorption is impossible in the bones.
- Long walks in the open.
- Balanced nutrition, sports.
Thus, the success of rehabilitation largely depends on the correct implementation of the procedures and exercises recommended by the doctor. Particular attention should be paid not only to the initial stages of recovery (after surgery), but also to later ones. Only an integrated approach, including exercise therapy, physical exercises, visits to the pool, adequate sleep and proper nutrition allow the patient to recover after surgery as quickly and efficiently as possible.