Posterior Cruciate Ligament Tear Phase I Rehab

Ask your health care provider which exercises are safe for you. Do exercises exactly as told by your health care provider and adjust them as directed.

It is normal to feel mild stretching, pulling, tightness, or discomfort as you do these exercises, but you should stop right away if you feel sudden pain or your pain gets worse. Do not begin these exercises until told by your health care provider.

Stretching and range of motion exercises

These exercises warm up your muscles and joints and improve the movement and flexibility of your knee. These exercises also help to relieve pain, numbness, and tingling.

Exercise A: Knee flexion, active

1. Lie on your back with both knees straight. If this causes back discomfort, bend your healthy knee so your foot is flat on the floor.
2. Slowly slide your left / right heel back toward your buttocks until you feel a gentle stretch in the front of your knee or thigh.
3. Hold for __________ seconds.
4. Slowly slide your left / right heel back to the starting position.

Repeat __________ times. Complete this exercise __________ times a day.

Exercise B: Knee extension, prone

1. Lie on your abdomen on a bed.
2. Place your left / right knee just beyond the edge of the surface so your knee is not on the bed. You can put a towel under the far end of your left / right thigh for comfort.
3. Relax your leg muscles and allow gravity to straighten your knee. You should feel a stretch behind your left / right knee.
4. Hold this position for __________ seconds.

Repeat __________ times. Complete this __________ times a day.

Your health care provider may ask you to do this exercise while wearing a __________ ankle weight to enhance the stretch.

Exercise C: Hamstring, supine

1. Lie on your back.
2. Loop a belt or towel over the ball of your left / right foot. The ball of your foot is on the walking surface, right under your toes.
3. Straighten your left / right knee and slowly pull on the belt to bring your leg up in the air and toward you until you feel a gentle stretch behind your knee.
   1. Do not allow your left / right knee to bend.
   1. Keep your other leg flat on the floor.
4. Hold this position for __________ seconds.

Repeat __________ times. Complete this stretch __________ times a day.

Strengthening exercises

These exercises build strength and endurance in your knee. Endurance is the ability to use your muscles for a long time, even after they get tired.

Exercise D: Quadriceps, isometric

1. Lie on your back with your left / right leg extended and your other knee bent. If told by your health care provider, put a rolled towel or small pillow under your left / right knee.
2. Slowly tense the muscles in the front of your left / right thigh. When you do this, you should see your kneecap slide up toward your hip or see increased dimpling just above your knee. This motion will push the back of your knee down toward the surface that is under it.
3. For __________ seconds, hold the muscles as tight as you can without increasing your pain.
4. Relax the muscles slowly and completely.

Repeat __________ times. Complete this exercise __________ times a day.

Exercise E: Straight leg raises (quadriceps)

1. Lie on your back with your left / right leg extended and your other knee bent.
2. Tense the muscles in the front of your left / right thigh. You should see your kneecap slide up or see increased dimpling just above the knee.
3. Tighten these muscles even more as you raise your leg 4–6 inches (10–15 cm) off the floor. Do not let your knee bend.
4. Hold this position for __________ seconds.
5. Keep these muscles tense as you lower your leg.
6. Relax your muscles slowly and completely.

Repeat __________ times. Complete this exercise __________ times a day.