Lower Extremity: Exercises Following Osteochondritis Dissecans (OCD) Repair
The following instructions are for exercises for Children's Hospital of Philadelphia (CHOP) patients to do following cartilage repair in the foot or ankle, known as osteochondritis dissecans (OCD) surgery.
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.
Calf stretch with a towel
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Sit with your knee straight and a towel looped around your foot. Gently pull on the towel until you feel a stretch in your calf. Hold for 30 seconds.
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Ankle pumps (plantar/dorsiflexion)
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Relax your leg. Gently flex and extend your ankle. Move through your full range of motion. Stop if you feel pain.
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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 10-15 seconds. *Follow the recommendations of your surgeon. They may limit your range of motion.
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Quadriceps set
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Tighten the muscles on the top of your things and push your knees down onto the surface. Hold for 5-10 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 18-24 inches from the surface. Keep your knee locked.
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Side-lying straight leg raise (hip abduction)
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Tighten the muscles on the front of your thigh. Then lift your top leg 18-24 inches from the surface. Keep your knee locked straight. Lift your leg in line with your body or slightly behind. Do not allow your top leg to come forward.
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Reviewed on January 13, 2023, by Ken Knecht, PT, MS, SCS