PCL Reconstruction

Sutter Health / Palo Alto Medical Foundation · Kevin Roth MD

Weight-Bearing

FWB in brace wks 1-6; FWB no brace wks 6+; brace locked 0° wks 1-2, unlocked 0-90° wks 3-6

Key Restrictions

Brace locked 0° wks 1-2; no hamstring strengthening until 6 weeks post-op; no active knee flexion wks 3-4; jumping at 16 wks; sprinting/cutting at 20 wks; RTS ~9 months

Timeline & Phases

Wk 1: FWB in brace locked 0°, ROM locked — passive ext, quad sets, ankle exercises, no hamstring strengthening; Wk 2: FWB, brace locked 0°, ROM as tolerated — SLR, hip strengthening, CKC (heel raises, leg press); Wks 3-4: FWB, brace unlocked 0-90°, ROM 10°/wk — OKC quad work, no hamstring activation or active knee flexion; Wks 4-6: FWB, brace 0-90°, ROM 0-90° — gait training, wall slides 0-30°, mini-squats 0-30°, leg press 0-60°; Wks 6-8: FWB, no brace, full ROM — gait/wall slides/mini-squats/leg press; Wks 8-16: FWB — advance CKC, proprioception, running straight at 12 wks; Wks 16-24: FWB — stationary bike (high seat), stair climber, jumping at 16 wks, sprinting/cutting at 20 wks, plyometrics; Month 6+: jogging → full running at 9 months, plyometrics, full cutting and RTS ~9 months

Notes

No hamstring strengthening until 6 weeks post-op; no active knee flexion wks 3-4; jumping at 16 wks; sprinting/cutting at 20 wks; RTS ~9 months

Surgeon / Author

Kevin Roth MD

Published

2024