From Rupture to Recovery: Evidence-Based Strategies for Achilles Repair Rehab is a 1.0 CEU specialty course designed to give clinicians a clear, research-driven framework for managing patients following Achilles tendon repair.

Developed and taught by foot and ankle specialist Dr. Megin Sabo John, PT, DPT, OCS, this course integrates surgical considerations, tendon healing physiology, post-operative precautions, and progressive loading strategies into a practical system you can use immediately in the clinic.

Drawing from current evidence and years of clinical experience working with foot/ankle patients, performing artists, and high-level athletes, Dr. Megin Sabo John details the key factors that influence tendon elongation, strength deficits, and long-term functional outcomes after repair. You’ll learn how different surgical techniques (open, mini-open, percutaneous, SpeedBridge™, FHL transfer, Z-shortening) impact rehabilitation timelines and loading tolerance, and how to tailor your treatment approach accordingly.

The course breaks down tendon behavior in the early post-operative phase — including the critical 2–6 week window where most elongation occurs — and shows you how to protect the repair while restoring controlled motion and initiating safe plantarflexor loading. You’ll also learn how to apply objective measures such as Achilles Tendon Resting Angle (ATRA), calf circumference, and heel-rise height to guide your progression and track patient outcomes over time.

Inside this course, you’ll learn how to:

• Understand tendon healing timelines and their implications for early and mid-stage loading

• Navigate differences between surgical techniques and their clinical impact

• Apply evidence-based precautions to minimize gapping and elongation

• Use structured progressions for protected weightbearing and tendon gliding

• Restore plantarflexion capacity using seated and standing calf raise progressions

• Differentiate and appropriately load gastrocnemius vs. soleus

• Implement heel-rise testing, ATRA measurement, and limb symmetry benchmarks

• Identify compensatory patterns (e.g., increased knee flexion during loading) and correct them

• Build a phase-based framework that supports safe, functional strengthening through recovery

You’ll also receive the Achilles Repair Protocol, which mirrors the course material and gives you a clean, real-world clinical tool to guide progression in the clinic.

Whether you treat general orthopedic patients or athletes in high-demand settings, this course will help you deliver smarter, safer, and more precise rehabilitation following Achilles tendon repair — built on evidence, not guesswork.

• Physical Therapists, Physical Therapist Assistants, and DPT students looking to build confidence treating post-operative Achilles repairs.

• Athletic Trainers and strength coaches who need evidence-based strategies for safely restoring plantarflexor strength and tendon capacity.

• Clinicians in orthopedics, sports medicine, performing arts, and general outpatient settings who manage patients recovering from Achilles tendon ruptures.

• New grads and residents wanting a clearer, research-driven framework for early protection, progressive loading, and heel-raise development.

• Any clinician who wants to minimize tendon elongation risk, restore functional strength, and improve outcomes after Achilles repair.

This course is approved by the Texas Board of Physical Therapy Examiners for 1.0 CEU (Course #80707), valid through October 01, 2027. Many states recognize Texas CEUs through reciprocity. Some of those states may include:

Alabama, Alaska, Arizona, Colorado, Connecticut, Delaware, Florida, Georgia, Hawaii, Idaho, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Kentucky, Massachusetts, Michigan, Mississippi, Missouri, Montana, Nebraska, New Hampshire, North Carolina, North Dakota, Oregon, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, South Carolina, South Dakota, Tennessee, Utah, Vermont, Virginia, Washington, Wisconsin, Wyoming.

Check with your states licensing board for clarification.

Nope! Once enrolled, you have full access and can go at your own pace. You’ll receive your certificate after completing the course content and passing the quiz.

You will have lifetime access to the course for reference.

This course is designed for both new clinicians and experienced providers, but the content is grounded in advanced, evidence-based Achilles repair rehabilitation.

New grads and residents will gain a clear, structured framework for early protection, tendon loading, and progressive calf strengthening.

Experienced clinicians will refine their decision-making using updated research on tendon elongation, surgical techniques, plantarflexor loading, and functional benchmarks after repair.

Whether you're early in your career or have years of experience, you’ll walk away with practical strategies you can apply immediately in the clinic.

Yes — once you complete the course and quiz, you’ll receive a certificate of completion that can be used for CEU reporting in most states.

Definitely. Many instructors and mentors use this course as a resource for clinical reasoning and protocol-based progression.

• A breakdown of open, mini-open, percutaneous, and SpeedBridge™ repairs and how each influences early rehab.
• Covers tendon biology, elongation risk (highest between weeks 2–6), and critical precautions that protect the repair during the early postoperative phase.
• Includes ATRA measurement, calf atrophy considerations, and expected tissue behavior across the first 24 weeks.

Clear instruction on how to blend surgical protocols with real-world loading science.
Topics include:

• Boot and heel-lift progressions

• Weightbearing timelines & safety cues

• ROM restrictions (no active DF, no stretching for 6 months)

• Tendon gliding, intrinsic activation, NMES, and early BFR use

• Strategies to minimize gapping and elongation

• Safe initiation of seated calf raises and isometrics inside the boot

Step-by-step loading progressions for gastroc–soleus based on evidence and tendon load indices.
Includes:

• Seated → bent-knee → standing double-leg calf raises

• Standing single-leg calf raise readiness

• Weighted calf raise development

• Rebounding heel-rise and functional calf capacity testing

• Limb symmetry benchmarks and heel-rise height goals

• Compensations to avoid (e.g., knee flexion strategy during PF loading)

This module mirrors all strengthening pathways shown in the protocol, including weekly exercise sequencing through 24 weeks.

 A comprehensive, clinician-ready protocol by Dr. Megin Sabo John, PT, DPT, OCS, outlining:

• Weekly loading progressions

• ROM restrictions

• Shoe-wear timelines

• Heel-lift changes

• Calf strengthening milestones

• Early tendon gliding & NMES/BFR guidance

• Functional capacity benchmarks

• Return-to-impact criteria