Core Muscle Repair — Sports Hernia / Core Muscle Injury Repair (Post-Operative)

NYU Langone Health · Dr. Daniel J. Kaplan, MD

Weight-Bearing

PWB

Key Restrictions

PWB with crutch as needed initially (d/c when comfortable); avoid trunk/hip hyperextension; avoid aggressive rectus abdominus contractions; avoid heavy lifting; avoid activities increasing intra-abdominal pressure; no quick change of direction or start/stop until Phase IV

Timeline & Phases

Phase I: 0-4 wks (max protection, gentle stretching, hip AAROM/PROM, treadmill walking); Phase II: 4-6 wks (moderate protection, progress WB, mini-squats/lunges, bridging/plank progression, initiate jogging in pool or Alter-G); Phase III: 6-10 wks (advance strengthening, plyometrics, progress jogging, light sport activity no cutting); Phase IV: 10-14 wks (return to sport, plant/pivot, start/stop, sprinting)

Notes

Phase headers in source PDF erroneously label phases III-IV as months; actual timeline is weeks per exercise content

Surgeon / Author

Dr. Daniel J. Kaplan, MD

Published

2025-05