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| KNEE HOME EXERCISE PROGRAM |

Some exercises will be taught to you during your physical therapy sessions while in the hospital. Please do not hesitate to ask questions regarding these if necessary. Pre-operatively, do the exercises daily. For weeks 1-6 do the exercises 3 times a day; weeks 7-12 do exercises 2 times a day; and for weeks 13-26 do exercises daily.

  1. ANKLE PUMPS - Bend your ankles up and down. Do 20 repetitions.
  2. QUAD SETS - Keeping your knee straight, tighten your thigh muscle by pushing the back of your knee down on the bed. Hold for a count of 5. Relax. Do 20 repetitions.
  3. HAMSTRING SETS - Keeping your knee straight, push your heel into the bed. Hold for a count of 5. Relax. Do 20 repetitions.
  4. TERMINAL KNEE EXTENSIONS - Lying on your back with a roll under your knee, so that it is slightly bent, straighten your knee and hold for a count of 5. Relax. Do not lift your leg off the roll. Do 20 repetitions.
  5. GLUTEAL SETS - Either lying flat on your back or sitting, squeeze your buttocks together and hold for a count of 5. Relax. Do 20 repetitions.
  6. KNEE FLEXION - Sitting in a chair leaning against the backrest, bend your operated knee and slide your foot as far back under the chair as possible. DO NOT LEAN FORWARD while performing this exercise. Do 20 repetitions.
  7. HEEL SLIDES - Lying flat on your back or sitting, bend your knee and slide your heel up the bed, keeping your toes and knee pointing up toward the ceiling. Now slide your leg back down straight. Do 20 repetitions.
  8. STRAIGHT LEG RAISES - Lying flat on your back, bend your unoperated leg up and place the foot flat on the bed. Keeping your operated knee straight, slowly lift your leg up, making sure to lift the heel first. Lift only as high as your other leg. Now slowly lower your leg back down. Do not hold. Do 20 repetitions.
  9. HAMSTRING STRETCHING - Sitting with one leg off the bed and the foot on the floor, and the operated leg straight on the bed, lean forward reaching for your toes of the straightened leg. Keep your back straight. Hold for a count of 10. Relax. Do 10 repetitions.