Post-operative rehabilitation of patients is not less important, or even more important, than a technically perfect surgery procedure. A good functional result of treatment depends not only on surgery procedures, but also on an individually selected system of post-operative rehabilitation therapy, especially when it comes to athletes - patients with high functional requirements. Purpose To improve the results of athletes` recovery after orthopedic surgery procedures on the forefoot, due to the restoration of a muscle function, responsible for the foot activity. Material and methods We conducted prospective research on 36 patients engaged in different sports, with deformities and diseases of the forefoot, who had experienced surgery procedures aimed at repairing those deformities. All the patients were divided into 2 homogenous groups. The system of rehabilitation in the patients of the control group meant exercising in order to train a walking stereotype. The system of rehabilitation for the main group developed by us implied an effect of massage and special exercises on the following muscles and ligaments: m. tibialis anterior, m. fibularis longus, m. biceps femoris, lig. sacroischiadicus, tractus iliotibialis, m. tensor fascia latae, m. quadriceps femoris, m. adductor magnus, m. gluteus medius on both operated and healthy sides. The results of treatment were evaluated by the generally accepted assessment scale of AOFAS for the forefoot (module 2) 45, 60, 90 days after surgery procedures. The research data were statistically processed. Results There was a statistically significant difference between the main and the control groups by the scale of AOFAS 60 days after a surgery procedure (MWUT, ? < .01). The athletes of the main group were able to return to a training process 2 months after a surgery procedure on the forefoot, and those of the control group - 3 months after a surgery procedure. Conclusions Massage and special exercises, aimed at restoring a stabilizing function of muscles and ligaments of stabilizers of not only the foot, but of the entire pelvic girdle and pelvis of both sides allowed reducing the dates of athletes` functional recovery by a month in comparison with the control group.
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