Orthopedic rehabilitation

After various orthopedic operations, extensive burns, amputations or complex fractures, patients need orthopedic rehabilitation in order to maximize recovery of muscle activity and the spectrum of limb movements.  For each type of injury a specific rehabilitation procedure set is individually selected.

The basic principles of the rehabilitation process, adopted by Reuth, are that it should start as early as possible and be intense.  Some of these procedures may even start before the seams have completely healed or fractures have blended.  This approach aims to avoid muscular atrophy (wasting) and joint contractures by encouraging physical activity, which helps to restore blood flow to injured tissues.

The specific set of rehabilitation procedures is selected by a team of experts based on the results of radiological & tomographic (CT) imaging for each patient.  This team is comprised of a prosthetist, rehabilitologist physician, physiotherapist, occupational therapist and other health professionals who work with each patient individually.

Rehabilitation after amputation and prosthetics

The fitting and adjustment to prosthetics after amputations are also considered rehabilitation activities.  At first, the patient’s limb is prepared to wear the prosthesis by wound treatment, prevention of contractures of the joints and muscle atrophy.  Prosthetic limbs are manufactured on an individual basis, taking into account the type of amputation, the patient's age, his physical condition and his goals:

  • selection of orthopedic shoes when only a part of a foot is lost;
  • cosmetic prosthetics
  • different levels of functional prosthetics

Mandatory muscle training of the whole body and not just the damaged limb is conducted before and after prosthetic procedures, using specialized therapeutic and educational physiotherapy and occupational therapy.  The final phase of the prosthesis training is walking or learning how to use the prosthesis. The minimum time required for this rehabilitation process, including prosthesis selection and training, is 8 weeks.

If the amputation was accompanied by circulatory failure, indicating that the patient has certain heart disorders, then the whole process of rehabilitation must be carried out in a full hospitalization setting, while in other, less serious cases the specialists can also consider daily hospitalization.

Rehabilitation after fractures

A rehabilitation physician and orthopedist closely observe the patient’s fracture blending.  In order to restore the function and maximum movement spectrum, the weight put on the injured area and the movement range are gradually increased. Maximum muscle and whole body activity in the period of non-weight bearing of extremity is also performed to prevent atrophy.

Rehabilitation after extensive burns

Rehabilitation procedures are implemented by the rehabilitation physician, as well as by the physiotherapy and occupational therapy specialists, using such technologies as tied bandage and silicone electrostatic ointments, which help to reduce and smooth colloidal scars, as well as to restore functional mobility in the affected body area.

Exercises on simulators, which help improve joint function and train specific muscle groups, are of great importance in the process of any orthopedic rehabilitation.

Reuth rehabilitation center’s professionals have obtained extensive experience in rehabilitating patients with all types of orthopedic injuries.