Sports Medicine and Rehabilitation

Rehabilitation Instructions

Muscle Exercises

Muscle exercises will allow increased muscle control, strength, and reduced pain leading to improved knee function. Try your best to focus on the muscle group you are working rather than just squeezing all of your leg muscles in general.

Hamstring (back of thigh) Isometric

• With your brace on, sit on a bed or chair.
• Contract hamstrings by digging your heel downward as if trying to bend your knee.

Quadricep (front of thigh) Isometric

• With your brace on and knee as straight as possible, contract the quadriceps as if trying to straighten the leg.
• Once quads are stronger, begin replacing quad squeezes (quad set) with squeezes plus lift hold (straight leg raises).
• Never add weights to the ankle during this exercise.

The cues below may help you isolate the quads better:

• “Think-see-feel” kneecap being pulled up towards your hip by the quad squeeze.
• Feel for inner, lower quad area firmness with your fingers during the squeeze.
• Visualize kicking a ball with your knee fully extended.

Duration: 6 second holds, 1-second rest. Do 10 times. Increase by 5 times gradually as tolerated to a goal repetition of 30 times.

Frequency: Every hour.