Lower Extremity: Post-Op Osteotomy/External Fixator Home Exercise Program
The following instructions are for exercises for Children's Hospital of Philadelphia (CHOP) to do after an osteotomy.
Patient instructions:
Your therapist will tell you how long to hold each exercise, how many times you should repeat each one, and how many times you should perform the exercises each day.
Ankle pumps (plantar/dorsiflexion)
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Relax your leg. Gently flex and extend your ankle. Move through your full range of motion.
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Quadriceps set
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Tighten the muscle on the top of your thigh by pushing your knees down onto the surface. Hold for 10 seconds.
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Straight leg raise
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Tighten the muscles on the front of your thigh. Then lift your leg 8-10 inches from the surface. Keep your knee locked.
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Knee extension
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Place your knee over a towel roll. Straighten your knee by tightening the muscles on the top of the thigh. Keep the bottom of your knee on the towel roll.
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Knee flexion
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Place a towel around your heel. Gently pull your knee up with the towel until you feel a stretch. Hold for 10 seconds.
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Seated knee flexion and extension
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Gently push one leg back with your other leg until you feel a stretch. Hold 10 seconds. Relax. Recross bent legs at ankles. Slowly straighten your legs, pushing with your lower leg. Hold for 10 seconds.
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Reviewed on January 12, 2023, by Stacey Caviston, PT, DPT; Megan Beam, PT, DPT; Ken Knecht, PT, MS, SCS