Initial
rehabilitation phase
0-4 weeks
Goals:
- To be safely and independently mobile with appropriate walking aid,
adhering to weight bearing status
- To be independent with home exercise programme as appropriate
- To understand self management / monitoring, e.g. skin sensation,
colour, swelling, temperature, circulation
Restrictions:
- Ensure that weight bearing restrictions are adhered to:
- Total
Ankle Replacement (TAR):
- Non Weight Bearing (NWB) for 2 weeks in Back
Slab
- Below Knee Plaster of Paris (BK POP) at 2
weeks. Progress to Full Weight Bearing (FWB) in POP.
- POP removed at 4 weeks. May require aircast
boot. FWB.
- If any
other surgical technique used ensure you check any restrictions with team
as these may differ from TAR alone
- Elevation
- If sedentary employment, may be able to return to work from 4 weeks
post-operatively, as long as provisions to elevate leg, and no
complications
Treatment:
- Likely to be in POP
- Pain-relief: Ensure
adequate analgesia
- Elevation: ensure
elevating leg with foot higher than waist
- Exercises: teach
circulatory exercises
- Education: teach how
to monitor sensation, colour, circulation, temperature, swelling, and
advise what to do if concerned
- Mobility: ensure patient independent with transfers and mobility, including stairs
if necessary
Recovery
rehabilitation phase
4
weeks – 3 months
Goals:
- To be independently mobile out of aircast boot
- To achieve full range of movement
- To optimise normal movement
Restrictions:
- Ensure adherence to weight bearing status.
- No strengthening against resistance until at least 3 months
post-operatively of any tendon transfers if performed.
- Do not stretch any tendon transfers / ligament reconstructions if
performed. They will naturally lengthen over a 6 month period
Treatment:
- Pain relief
- Advice / Education
- Posture advice /
education
- Mobility: ensure
safely and independently mobile adhering to appropriate weight bearing
restrictions. Progress off walking aids as able once reaches FWB stage.
- Gait Re-education
- Wean out of aircast
boot once advised to do so, and provision of plaster shoe as appropriate, if patient unable to get into normal
footwear
- Exercises:
- Passive range of movement (PROM)
- Active assisted range of movement (AAROM)
- Active range of movement (AROM)
- Strengthening exercises as appropriate
- Core stability work
- Balance / proprioception work once
appropriate
- Stretches of tight structures as appropriate
(e.g. Achilles Tendon), not of tendon transfers / ligament
reconstructions if performed.
- Review lower limb biomechanics. Address
issues as appropriate.
- If tendon transfer performed, encourage
isolation of transfer activation without overuse of other muscles.
Biofeedback likely to be useful.
- Swelling Management
- Manual Therapy:
- Soft tissue techniques as appropriate
- Joint mobilisations as appropriate ensuring
awareness of osteotomy sites and those joints which may be fused, and therefore
not appropriate to mobilise
- Monitor sensation,
swelling, colour, temperature, circulation
- Orthotics if required
via surgical team
- Hydrotherapy if
appropriate
- Pacing
advice as appropriate
Intermediate
rehabilitation phase
12 weeks –
6 months
Goals:
- Independently mobile unaided
- Wearing normal footwear
- Optimise normal movement
- Grade 5 muscle strength around ankle
- Grade 4 muscle strength of tendon transfers if performed
Treatment:
Further
progression of the above treatment:
- Pain relief
- Advice / Education
- Posture advice /
education
- Mobility: Progression
of mobility and function
- Gait Re-education
- Exercises:
- Range of movement
- Strengthening exercises as appropriate
- Core stability work
- Balance / proprioception work
- Stretches of tight structures as appropriate
(e.g. Achilles Tendon), not of transfers / ligament reconstructions if
performed.
- Review lower limb biomechanics. Address issues
as appropriate.
- If tendon transfer performed progress
isolation of transfer activation without overuse of other muscles.
Biofeedback likely to be useful.
- Swelling Management
- Manual Therapy:
- Soft tissue techniques as appropriate
- Joint mobilisations as appropriate ensuring
awareness of those which may be fused and therefore not appropriate to
mobilise
- Monitor sensation,
swelling, colour, temperature, circulation
- Orthotics if required
via surgical team
- Hydrotherapy if
appropriate
- Pacing advice as appropriate
Final
rehabilitation phase
6 months –
1 year
Goals:
- Return to gentle no-impact / low-impact sports
- Establish long term maintenance programme
- Grade 4 or 5 muscle strength of tendon transfers if performed
Treatment:
- Mobility / function: Progression
of mobility and function, increasing dynamic control with specific
training to functional goals
- Gait Re-education
- Exercises:
- Progression of exercises including range of
movement, strengthening, transfer activation, balance and proprioception,
core stability
- Swelling Management
- Manual Therapy:
- Soft tissue techniques as appropriate
- Joint mobilisations as appropriate ensuring
awareness of those which may be fused and therefore not appropriate to
mobilise
- Pacing advice
Failure to
progress
If a
patient is failing to progress, then consider the following:
POSSIBLE
PROBLEM
|
ACTION
|
Swelling
|
Ensure
elevating leg regularly
Use ice
as appropriate if normal skin sensation and no contraindications
Decrease
amount of time on feet
Pacing
Use
walking aids
Circulatory
exercises
If
decreases overnight, monitor closely
If does
not decrease overnight, refer back to surgical team or to GP
|
Pain
|
Decrease
activity
Ensure
adequate analgesia
Elevate
regularly
Decrease
weight bearing and use walking aids as appropriate
Pacing
Modify
exercise programme as appropriate
If
persists, refer back to surgical team or to GP
|
Breakdown
of Wound e.g inflammation, bleeding, infection
|
Refer to
surgical team or to GP
|
Transfer
not activating
|
Start
working in NWB gravity eliminated position with AAROM and then build up as
able
Biofeedback
Ensure
adequate analgesia as appropriate
Ensure
swelling under control as appropriate
Ensure
foot neutral when mobilising to avoid excessive shear. Consider orthotics
referral via surgical team if unable to keep neutral
Refer
back to surgical team if no improvement
|
Numbness
/ altered sensation
|
Review
immediate post-operative status if possible
Ensure
swelling under control
If new
onset or increasing refer back to surgical team or GP
If
static, monitor closely, but inform surgical team and refer back if
deteriorates or if concerned
|
Summary of evidence for
physiotherapy guidelines
A
comprehensive literature search was carried out to identify research relating
to surgery for tibialis posterior tendon dysfunction and subsequent
rehabilitation. After reviewing the articles and information, the physiotherapy
guidelines were produced on the best available evidence.
- Ali et al (2007) “Intermediate results of Buechel Pappas
unconstrained uncemented Total Ankle Replacement for osteoarthritis” The
Journal of Foot and Ankle Surgery 46, (1): 16-20
- Buechel et al (2004) “Twenty-year evaluation of cementless
mobile-bearing Total Ankle Replacements” Clinical Orthopaedics and Related
Research 424, 19-26
- Coetzee J & Castro M (2004) “Accurate measurement of ankle
range of motion after Total Ankle Arthroplasty” Clinical Orthopaedics and
Related Research 424, 27-31
- Conti S & Wong YS (2001) “Complications of Total Ankle
Replacement” Clinical Orthopaedics and Related Research 391, 105-114
- Griesberg J & Hansen S (2003) “Total Ankle Arthroplasty in the
advanced flatfoot” Techniques in Foot and Ankle Surgery 2, (3): 152-161
- Knecht et al (2004) “The Agility Total Ankle Arthroplasty” The
Journal of Bone and joint Surgery 86-A, (6): 1161-1171
- Kobayashi et al (2004) “Ankle arthroplasties generate wear
particles similar to knee arthroplasties” Clinical Orthopaedics and
Related Research 424, 69-72
- Kotnis et al (2006) “The management of failed ankle replacement”
The Journal of Bone and Joint Surgery 88-B, (8): 1039-1047
- Lalonde K & Conti S (2006) “Ankle arthritis: current status of
ankle replacement versus fusion and other treatment modalities” Current
Opinion in Orthopaedics 17, (2): 117-123
- Mendolia et al (1005) “Lond term (10-14 years) results of the
Ramses Total Ankle Arthroplasty” Techniques in Foot and Ankle Surgery 4,
(3): 160-173
- Spirt et al (2004) “Complications and failure after Total Ankle
Arthroplasty” The Journal of Bone and Joint Surgery 86-A, (6): 1172-1178
- Tochigi et al (2005) “The effect of accuracy of implantation on
range of movement of the Scandinavian Total Ankle Replacement” The Journal
of Bone and Joint Surgery 87-B, (5): 736-740
- Valderrabano et al (2006) “Sports and recreation
activity of ankle arthritis patients before and after Total Ankle Replacement”
The American Journal of Sports Medicine 34, (6): 993-999
Sumber :
Royal National Orthopaedic Hospital In association with the UCL Institute of Orthopaedics
and Musculoskeletal Science