Prehab & Rehabilitation — all lessons
Foundations of MSK Rehabilitation
Principles of injury prevention and recoveryBiomechanics and movement analysisUnderstanding pain science and tissue healingRehab Exercise Strategies
Progressive loading techniquesProgram design for rehabilitationPhased rehab programming: acute to return-to-performancePrehab 121 Protocols (intermediate–late stage)
ActivationEarly strengtheningAdvanced strengtheningPlyometrics in rehabilitationReturn-to-sport exercisesPrevention, Surgery and Return to Sport
Injury prevention programmesThe preoperative phase (prehabilitation)Role of criteria-based progressionsReturn-to-sport testingIntegration with strength and conditioningCase Studies
Case studies and real-world client scenariosThe preoperative phase (prehabilitation)
Exercise before surgery — prehabilitation to improve fitness, strength and outcomes, with examples for ACL reconstruction and major surgery.
Learning objectives
- Explain the rationale for prehabilitation
- Summarise evidence for total-body and joint-specific prehab
- Design a prehab programme with surgical team input
- Set expectations and safety boundaries
Before this lesson
Why this matters
People who enter surgery fitter and stronger often recover function sooner. Prehab is a practical opportunity, especially for planned surgery.
Evidence
A meta-analysis of total-body prehabilitation found improvements in some postoperative outcomes, though evidence quality varied [santamina2014].
Joint-specific examples
| Surgery | Prehab priorities |
|---|---|
| ACL reconstruction | Full knee extension, minimal swelling, quadriceps activation and strength, normal gait |
| Knee/hip replacement | Strength, range, walking capacity, aerobic fitness |
| Major abdominal surgery | Aerobic fitness, breathing exercises, strength |
Loading principles still apply [khan2009], within surgical restrictions.
Common mistakes and misconceptions
Case study
A 28-year-old awaiting ACL reconstruction completes 6 weeks of prehab, restoring full extension and improving quadriceps strength. Early post-operative milestones are reached sooner than his surgeon’s usual expectations.
Further learning: video lessons
Video links are only marked “verified” after a human has watched them. Unverified entries open a YouTube search for that channel and topic rather than a guessed link.
Prehab before ACL surgery
physiotherapy educators (search, e.g. E3 Rehab, Physiotutors)
You will understand: pre-operative exercises
Why: Clinician-led practical content; verify the specific video.
Prehabilitation for major surgery
perioperative medicine educators (search)
You will understand: evidence for prehab
Why: Clinical overview.
Knowledge check
Knowledge check · 0/5
1. Prehabilitation is…
2. Santa Mina et al. (2014) reported that total-body prehab…
3. Before ACL reconstruction, priorities commonly include…
4. Who sets prehab restrictions?
5. The evidence label is “emerging” because…
Short-answer & application questions
- Design a 6-week prehab for knee replacement candidates.
- List criteria a surgeon may want before ACL reconstruction.
- Explain prehab benefits to a patient.
Key takeaways
- Prehabilitation aims to enter surgery fitter, stronger and with better function.
- Total-body prehab has been associated with improved postoperative outcomes in some populations.
- For ACL reconstruction, restoring range, reducing swelling and building quadriceps strength before surgery is commonly recommended.
- Programmes must follow surgeon and physiotherapist guidance.
Connected topics
Phased rehab programming: acute to return-to-performance
prehab rehabActivation
geriatric fitnessMusculoskeletal: osteoporosis, osteoarthritis, joint replacement
References
- Santa Mina D, Clarke H, Ritvo P, et al. (2014). Effect of total-body prehabilitation on postoperative outcomes: a systematic review and meta-analysis. Physiotherapy, 100(3):196–207. Meta-analysis check pending
- Ardern CL, Glasgow P, Schneiders A, et al. (2016). 2016 Consensus statement on return to sport from the First World Congress in Sports Physical Therapy, Bern. British Journal of Sports Medicine, 50(14):853–864. doi:10.1136/bjsports-2016-096278 Guideline check pending
- Khan KM, Scott A (2009). Mechanotherapy: how physical therapists' prescription of exercise promotes tissue repair. British Journal of Sports Medicine, 43(4):247–252. Narrative review check pending
Educational content only — not medical advice. Consult a qualified clinician for diagnosis or treatment.