The 4 phases of orthopedic rehabilitation

June 8, 2017

A step-by-step guide to getting your veterinary orthopedic patients up and at em after injury or surgery.

Orthopedic rehabilitation can be broken down into four phases and applied to any orthopedic injury or surgery, says CVC educator Debra Canapp, DVM, CCRT, CVA, DACVSMR. Each phase has an approximate timeframe and several milestones that must be met before the patient can proceed.

The rate of progression will vary by pet and by injury, and clinicians should prescribe therapeutic interventions within each phase that are tailored to the patient's specific needs. “Prescribing therapeutic interventions for a particular diagnosis in a ‘cookbook' fashion does the patient a disservice,” says Dr. Canapp.

Click here or on the image below to download a printable copy of Dr. Canapp's rehab guide, and get your ortho patients moving.

Click on the image to download a printable copy. (Shutterstock.com)