Anterior Cruciate Ligament (ACL) Reconstruction Surgery – Post Surgery Care Advice

NUH physiotherapist shares post-ACL reconstruction care advice, e.g. tips on reducing pain and swelling, rehabilitation exercises, importance of knee brace and crutches, etc.

To reduce the pain and swelling of the affected knee:

Take the pain relief medication as prescribed by your doctor
Apply the ice pack you have been given over your operated site
Elevate operated lower limb with a pillow

Rehabilitation starts in the ward on the same day after surgery. After you recover from sedation, the physiotherapist will teach you:

simple knee range of motion exercise
quads exercise
ankle pumping exercise
and swelling management with cold pack

You will also be taught how to walk with crutches in either the non-weight bearing or partial weight bearing way by your physiotherapist.

For the first four weeks, you must wear your knee brace and use the crutches as per your surgeon’s advice. You should wear the brace when you are walking and while you are sleeping. You may remove it if you are seated, or lying down, and remaining still.

NUH runs an Orthopaedic Diagnostic Centre that assesses patients, especially those who are athletes and active in sports, after their knee surgeries to track their recovery process and milestones until they can return to the sports they were previously doing. At each stage of the recovery process, the team will plan for the patients to undergo certain diagnostic assessments and based on their performances, propose the most appropriate care plans for them.

https://www.nuh.com.sg/Health-Informa...

00:00 - Introduction
00:24 - About the wound
00:53 - Management of pain and swelling
01:20 - Wound care
01:47 - Follow up appointment post-surgery
02:07 - Post-surgery rehabilitation exercises
02:22 - Assisted heel slide exercise
02:29 - Knee extension stretch
02:34 - Static quadriceps exercise
02:43 - Active straight leg raise
03:04 - Side lying hip abduction
03:21 - Prone hip abduction
03:32 - Terminal knee extension with resistance band
03:45 - Ankle pumping exercise
03:53 - Swelling management with ice pack
03:55 - Crutch use: Non-weight bearing
04:11 - Crutch use: Partial weight bearing
04:27 - Frequency and duration of physiotherapy
04:57 - Knee brace and crutch use & right way to get off bed
05:46 - Showering tips

For an appointment with NUH, visit
https://www.nuh.com.sg/patients-visit...

Follow NUH on social media:
Subscribe to NUH's Youtube channel and visit us at https://www.nuh.com.sg
Facebook:   / nationaluniversityhospital  
Instagram:   / nuhig  
LinkedIn:   / national-university-hospital  

About National University Hospital (NUH) (Singapore):
NUH is Singapore's major tertiary hospital and referral centre with over 50 medical, surgical and dental specialties. It is the only public hospital in Singapore to offer a comprehensive suite of specialist care for adults, women and children as well as paediatric kidney and liver transplant programme, in addition to kidney, liver and pancreas transplantations for adults.