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Postoperative Rehabilitation Program Following UCL Repair
with Augmentation
I. Initial Phase (Week 1)
Goals: Full wrist and elbow ROM
Decrease swelling
Decrease pain
Prevent muscle atrophy
Day of Surgery
Posterior Splint to Elbow Joint for 5-7 days
PROM wrist & hand
Post-op Day 1 and 2
Posterior Splint to elbow for 5-7 days
Immediate post-op hand, wrist, and hand exercises
Putty/grip strengthening
Wrist flexor stretching
Wrist extensor stretching
Shoulder PROM – all directions
Pendulum exercises
Post-op Day 3 through 7
PROM shoulder & wrist/hand
Continue UE exercises
Shoulder isometrics
ER & IR
Abduction, Flexion & extension
Scapular strengthening (seated NM control drills with manual resistance)
Hand gripping exercises
II. Acute Phase (Week 2-4)
Goals: Gradually restore Elbow Joint ROM
Improve muscular strength and endurance
Normalize joint arthrokinematics
Week 2: Discontinue posterior splint
0 0
Progress to Elbow ROM brace (30-110 ) … set Brace ROM 30-110
Elbow AAROM/PROM exercises
Initiate AROM elbow
Initiate AROM shoulder joint
Scapular strengthening exercises
Progress to light isotonic strengthening at day 10
0
Week 3: Progress Elbow ROM to 10-125
Initiate Thrower’s Ten Exercise Program
Initiate Lower Extremity exercises
Single leg squats (step downs)
Leg press
Wall squats
Lateral slides
Hip & core exercise
Caution: no squats with olympic bar, clean & jerks, overhead presses,
dead lifts, etc…
III. Intermediate Phase (Week 4-8)
Goals: Restore full Elbow ROM
Copyright © by the Advanced Continuing Education Institute, LLC. AdvancedCEU.com.
All Rights Reserved. Any redistribution, alteration, or reproduction of any materials herein is strictly prohibited.
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Progress UE strength
Continue with functional progression
0
Week 4: Progress Elbow ROM to 0-145
Progress Thrower’s Ten Program
Progress elbow & wrist strengthening exercises
Week 6: Initiate 2 hand Plyometrics
Discontinue brace at week 6
Week 8 Progress to 1 hand Plyometrics
Initiate advanced thrower’s ten program
Prone planks
IV. Advanced Phase (Weeks 9-14)
*Criteria to progress to Advanced Phase:
Full nonpainful ROM
No pain or tenderness
Isokinetic test that fulfills criteria to throw
Satisfactory clinical exam
Completion of rehab phases without difficulty
Goals: Advanced strengthening exercises
Initiate Interval Throwing Program
Gradual return to throwing
Week 9: Continue all strengthening exercises
Advanced thrower’s ten program
Plyometrics program (1 & 2 hand program)
Side planks for ER strengthening
Week: 10: Seated machine bench press
Seated row machine
Week 11-16: Initiate Interval Throwing program week 11-12
(long toss program) Phase I
Initiate Interval Hitting Program (week 10)
Continue all exercises in week 9
Week 16-20: Initiate Interval Throwing Program Phase II
(off mound program)
Initiate mound throwing when athlete is ready & has
completed ITP Phase I
V. Return to Play Phase (weeks 16-24 >):
Goal: Gradual return to competitive throwing
Continue all exercises & stretches
Week 16>: Initiate gradual return to competitive throwing
Perform dynamic warm-ups & stretches
Continue thrower’s ten program
Return to competition when athlete is ready
(Physician Decision)
Note: ** Each athlete may progress thru ITP at different rates/pace.
Should complete 0-90 ft within 3 weeks of starting it & complete
150/180 ft within 8 weeks then begin mound program.
Copyright © by the Advanced Continuing Education Institute, LLC. AdvancedCEU.com.
All Rights Reserved. Any redistribution, alteration, or reproduction of any materials herein is strictly prohibited.
