Quad / Patellar Tendon Repair

UW Health Sports Medicine · Marc Sherry PT DPT LAT CSCS; UW Health Sports Medicine

Weight-Bearing

WBAT with crutches and dial brace locked in extension at all times except exercises wks 0-6; crutches discontinued per PT and physician based on leg control; brace opened to 30-40 deg without crutches wks 6-12; normal gait on all surfaces without brace from 12 wks

Key Restrictions

Brace locked in extension at all times except during rehab exercises x 6 wks; knee ROM 0-30 deg passive wks 0-2 and 0-90 deg wks 3-6 with no active knee extension; avoid hyperextension; 0-115 deg without active extension wks 7-8; 0-130 deg wks 9-10 with active knee extension now permitted; no weight-bearing knee flexion past 70 deg for 12 wks; Phase IV: avoid forceful eccentric contractions and impact activities; ROM limits may be altered by surgeon based on repair integrity

Timeline & Phases

5 phases: Phase I (0-2 wks, rehab begins 3-5 days post-op, brace locked, ROM 0-30 deg, quad/hamstring/glute sets, patellar mobs, UBE), Phase II (2-6 wks, WBAT in locked brace, 0-90 deg wks 3-6, heel slides, 4-way leg lifts in locked brace), Phase III (6-12 wks, brace open 30-40 deg, active quad in weight bearing, closed chain 0-40 deg, stationary bike, AROM >=0-110 to progress), Phase IV (12 wks until criteria met, no brace, squat and lunge to 70 deg, single-leg stand 10 sec, no impact), Phase V (about 4 months, impact control progressions, sport/work-specific drills, return when multi-plane control is pain-free)

Notes

UW Health Sports Medicine guideline developed with Marc Sherry, PT, DPT, updated 9/2011; criterion-based with general time frames; relaxing suture protects repair early; covers quadriceps and patellar tendon repair; illustrated anatomy figures

Surgeon / Author

Marc Sherry PT DPT LAT CSCS; UW Health Sports Medicine

Published

September 2011