Orthopaedic surgery is half of the outcome. The other half happens in the months afterwards, and it is the half you control. Sportscare Caloundra has rehabilitated post-operative patients since 1992, following each surgeon's protocol and reporting progress back at the milestones they expect. One of our physiotherapists lists rehabilitation after orthopaedic surgery among her core interests, including returning injured youth athletes to sport.
Surgeries we rehabilitate routinely
- Total knee replacement. Early range of motion is the whole game in the first six weeks, then strength and walking endurance. Most patients are pleasantly surprised at twelve weeks and genuinely pleased at a year.
- Total hip replacement. Generally faster than knees. Rehab restores strength, gait and confidence, and respects any movement precautions your surgeon sets.
- Rotator cuff repair. The slowest of the common ones, moving through sling, passive, active and strengthening phases over six to twelve months. Rushing this one undoes the repair, and we do not rush it. Details on our rotator cuff page.
- ACL reconstruction. A nine to twelve month criteria-driven program covered on our ACL rehabilitation page.
- Shoulder stabilisation, ankle reconstruction and spinal surgery. Each to protocol, each with objective progress markers.
Prehab: the part most people miss
Strength built before a joint replacement carries through surgery and speeds everything after it. If your operation is booked weeks or months out, that window is valuable, and a short prehab block is one of the better investments you can make in your own result.
Practicalities
Bring your operation report or surgeon's protocol to the first visit if you have it; if not, we will request it. Post-surgical rehabilitation for chronic conditions may attract Medicare rebates under a GP Chronic Condition Management Plan, and private health extras cover typically applies. Our fees page explains both.
Surgery booked or just done?
Call us early. The first weeks set the trajectory, and prehab before the operation pays off after it.
Call (07) 5221 5254When should rehab start after a joint replacement?
Usually within the first week or two of discharge, and hospital physios will have you moving before you leave. Early guided movement produces better long-term range than waiting for things to settle.
Will you follow my surgeon's protocol?
Yes, always. Where the surgeon has a published protocol we rehab to it exactly, and where they do not we follow established best-practice timelines and report progress to them.
How long until I can drive?
It depends on the operation, which leg, your vehicle and your surgeon's advice, so we defer to them. As a general guide most knee replacement patients are cleared somewhere around four to six weeks, but confirm your own case with your surgeon.