Rehabilitation

The goal of rehabilitation is to return an injured individual to society with the maximum function consistent with the injuries sustained. Rehabilitation requires a team approach involving the trauma surgeon, the orthopedic surgeon, and the rehabilitation specialist. Rehabilitation protocols should be started from the time that the patient enters the hospital and continued until the patient is discharged from the system. Treatment is tailored to individual needs and depends on the extent of injury and the anticipated functional activity. The anesthesiologist can facilitate this process by provision of analgesia and anxiolysis appropriate to the individual patient and the particular rehabilitation goals.