When news surfaced almost four weeks ago that Brady had developed a postoperative infection, the sports medicine community shuddered. Doctors fear nothing more than the development of infections and blood clots. If not caught quickly and treated properly, such complications can threaten a patient's life, never mind the success of a surgery. In Brady's case, the infection was caught early and treated aggressively with wash-out procedures and IV antibiotics.
But it still constitutes a major setback, since infection delays rehab, increases the risk of scar tissue buildup, and leaves the patient more susceptible to long-term pain and stiffness. Restoring range of motion is the most important aspect of initial post-op rehab from ACL reconstruction, and there is a limited window of opportunity to work on it.
While Brady undoubtedly is trying to restore some range of motion, he is nowhere near the point where a patient without complications would typically be five weeks after surgery - doing squats, stability work, coordination drills, stationary bicycling, and stair-stepping.
Once the infection clears, he will essentially start physical therapy from the first post-op phase.
"Basically, you have to start over a little bit and restore motion," said Russ Paine, who is director of rehabilitation for the Houston-based Memorial Hermann Sports Medicine Center and physical therapist for the Houston Rockets. "You basically have to rewind the clock."
As Brady aims to return for next season, the next several months of rehab are critical. But with training camp starting in July, it is unnecessary to rush.
"I've seen great surgeries go bad, go horrible with bad rehab," said Dr. Lonnie Paulos, who performed knee reconstruction on Cincinnati Bengals quarterback Carson Palmer. "I've seen marginal surgeries salvaged with great rehab. Rehab is probably every bit as important as the surgery itself. The whole surgical technique is designed to enhance rehab."
