Low-Load Blood Flow Restriction After Orthopedic Surgery: What a Scoping Review and an ACL Reconstruction Trial Found

Physical therapists and physical therapist assistants working in outpatient orthopedics, postoperative rehabilitation, sports rehabilitation, and hospital-based therapy who see patients in the first weeks and months after ligament reconstruction, fracture fixation, arthroscopy, or arthroplasty.

Physical therapists and physical therapist assistants. Physical therapist assistants may take this course; the content describes blood flow restriction work carried out under the direction and supervision of the evaluating physical therapist.

Intended audience

Physical Therapy

Level

Intermediate

Delivery format

Online, asynchronous, self-paced course: interactive reading with audio or video, and a scored post-test.

Based on

Wang A, Stockton D, Herfst K, Jiang K, Witts N, Lefaivre KA. Blood Flow Restriction Training After Orthopedic Procedures: A Scoping Review of Current Trends and Functional Outcome Assessments. JOSPT Open. 2026;4(2):155-165. doi:10.2519/josptopen.2026.0176

Koc BB, Schotanus MGM, Ehlen T, Truyens A, de Bie R, Jansen EJP. Low-Load Blood Flow Restriction Training as an Alternative to Heavy-Load Resistance Training in Early-Stage Rehabilitation Following Bone-Patellar Tendon-Bone Anterior Cruciate Ligament Reconstruction: A Randomized Controlled Trial. JOSPT Open. 2026;4(2):166-173. doi:10.2519/josptopen.2026.0185

After completing this course, you will be able to:

1. Describe how blood flow restriction training has been applied within six months of orthopedic surgery, naming the loads, cuff pressures, repetition scheme, and timing of initiation most commonly reported in the scoping review.
2. State what the randomized trial comparing low-load blood flow restriction training with heavy-load resistance training after bone-patellar tendon-bone ACL reconstruction found for quadriceps strength, hamstring strength, knee pain, joint effusion, and range of motion at fourteen weeks.
3. Explain where the two papers agree and where they diverge on substituting low-load blood flow restriction work for heavy-load strengthening early after surgery, and name the safety screening and exclusion criteria each paper describes.

1. Start Here
2. Part One: Blood Flow Restriction Training in the First Six Months After Orthopedic Surgery
3. Which Surgeries and Which Patients the Scoping Review Captured
4. How the Reviewers Searched, Screened, and Extracted the Protocols
5. Cuff Pressures, Loads, and Session Parameters Reported Across the Included Studies
6. Varied Protocols, Short Follow-Up, and What the Reviewers Concluded
7. Part Two: Low-Load Blood Flow Restriction Versus Heavy-Load Training After Bone-Patellar Tendon-Bone ACL Reconstruction
8. Who Entered the Trial and Who Was Screened Out
9. The Two Training Programs, Cuff Settings, and Testing Schedule
10. Strength, Pain, Effusion, and Range of Motion at Fourteen Weeks
11. Small Numbers, Yes-or-No Outcomes, and What the Authors Concluded
12. Bringing It Together
13. Where the Two Papers Agree
14. Where They Diverge and Which Paper Found What
15. Parameters, Screening, and the Physical Therapist Assistant's Role at the Treatment Table
16. What the Evidence Still Does Not Answer
17. Key Takeaways
18. Post-Test and Course Evaluation

Quinn Millington, PT, DPT, ECS is the instructor of record: the licensed clinician who reviewed this course and signed off on it. The name and credentials print on the certificate.

Disclosures. This course was developed by The ConEd Solution, which has a financial interest in its sale. No outside funding or sponsorship was received. The instructor of record has no affiliation with the authors of the source publication or their institutions.

This course awards 1.0 contact hour (60 min). How you earn them:

1. Complete the course. Every lesson, in order.
2. Pass the post-test. Score 80% or higher. Retakes are allowed.
3. Complete the evaluation. A short form rating each learning objective and the course.
4. Download your certificate. It is issued on completion and stays available in My Account.

The episode time is its measured length. Reading, post-test and evaluation times are estimates.

This course is designed to satisfy the quality requirements state boards set for continuing education. Requirements vary by state, and confirming that a course fits your renewal is up to you. Each state’s own acceptance statement is in the credit panel on this page.

1. Wang A, Stockton D, Herfst K, Jiang K, Witts N, Lefaivre KA. Blood Flow Restriction Training After Orthopedic Procedures: A Scoping Review of Current Trends and Functional Outcome Assessments. JOSPT Open. 2026;4(2):155-165. doi:10.2519/josptopen.2026.0176
2. Koc BB, Schotanus MGM, Ehlen T, Truyens A, de Bie R, Jansen EJP. Low-Load Blood Flow Restriction Training as an Alternative to Heavy-Load Resistance Training in Early-Stage Rehabilitation Following Bone-Patellar Tendon-Bone Anterior Cruciate Ligament Reconstruction: A Randomized Controlled Trial. JOSPT Open. 2026;4(2):166-173. doi:10.2519/josptopen.2026.0185