Lower Extremity: Exercises following a Periacetabular osteotomy (PAO)
The following instructions are for Children's Hospital of Philadelphia (CHOP) patients following a hip surgery known as a periacetabular osteotomy.
Patient instructions:
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Learn more about PAO surgery.
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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 full your full range of motion. Stop if you feel pain. Repeat as many times as possible during the day. The goal is to complete 1,000 reps each day to reduce swelling.
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Quadriceps set
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Tighten the muscles on the front of your thigh and pull your toes toward your knee. Push your knee down into the surface. Hold for 5-10 seconds.
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Isometric abdominal
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Lie on your back with your knees bent. Tighten your belly muscles and press your elbows down. Hold for 10 seconds.
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Knee flexion
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Place a towel around your heel. Gently pull your knee up with the towel. Do not go beyond an "L" shape at your knee. Hold for 5 seconds.
*Be careful not to break your hip precautions by bending your knee too far.
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Knee extension
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Place your knee over a bolster or pillow. Straighten your knee by tightening the muscles on the top of your thigh. Do not lift your knee from the bolster.
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Heel raise
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Sit in a chair with your feet flat on the floor. Raise your heels while keeping your toes on the floor.
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Reviewed on January 13, 2023, by Ken Knecht, PT, MS, SCS