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The Ottawa Hospital Rehabilitation Centre’s (TOHRC) Musculoskeletal Program provides assessment, treatment and education to patients with a wide variety of complex musculoskeletal conditions who require a comprehensive rehabilitation approach. All patients are asses by a physiatrist (doctor who specializes in rehabilitation) to determine their eligibility to the program. After identifying patient-focused goals, our interdisciplinary team devises a program tailored to meet these objectives.

The MSR Service offers two programs: The complex orthopedic program and the amputee program. Our goals include:

• To provide specialized rehabilitation services, including assessment, preventative measures, treatment and discharge planning
• To optimize the clients’ functional activity levels
• To promote education, research and advocacy to clients with complex needs related to musculoskeletal conditions and amputations

Our Services

We treat patients who have had a lower or upper limb amputation. Those who are deemed eligible are fitted with a prosthesis for gait-training in order to resume daily-living activities. Our team will monitor wound-healing, address pain management and address the physical and psychosocial impact of losing a limb.

We also treat patients who have had multiple fractures, trauma or extensive burns following an accident or injury, as well as patients with generalized weakness and poor endurance following prolonged hospitalization. Our patients are those who are most likely to benefit from a comprehensive team approach that optimizes recovery and rehabilitation.

TOHRC’s treatment options include inpatient, outpatient and Locomotor Integration Rehabilitation (LIR).

Inpatient beds are for clients requiring intensive rehabilitation intervention who have one or more of the following:

• Insufficient support or the physical inability to function at home
• A complex medical condition
• Need for 24-hour nursing or supervisory care
• Transportation/distance issues

Clients are expected to experience some degree of functional recovery before returning home or to an appropriate long-term facility

Weekend leaves are encouraged as soon as the treatment team feels that clients are safe and sufficiently able to function outside of the hospital setting. Weekend leaves help clients to prepare for their discharge and provide an opportunity to practice the skills they have learned

Team members consult with family and health-care workers to provide information aimed at optimizing client functionality in home and community environments.

Our inpatient unit includes 16 beds: 8 are reserved for patients with amputations and 8 are for patients with complex orthopaedic injuries or other conditions described above.

These beds may also be used for patients admitted to the Locomotor Care Stream who may be eligible for Locomotor Integration Rehabilitation (LIR). These patients spend the day in hospital, receiving nursing care and attending therapy, but they spend the night in their own home.

The outpatient services may be provided to clients who require assessments, follow-ups and other treatments.

Our Team

Our dedicated team is comprised of professionals from:

• Clinical nutrition
• Nursing
• Occupational therapy
• Pastoral Counselling
• Pharmacy
• Physiotherapy
• Psychology and neuropsychology
• Recreation therapy
• Social work
• Vocational rehabilitation counselling

Please note: Clients have access to consultation services from other disciplines as required.

Making an Appointment

Before being admitted to the Musculoskeletal Program, a medical evaluation will determine whether you require comprehensive rehabilitation and in what capacity (inpatient vs. outpatient).
Patients are eligible for admittance if they are 18 years of age and older, and have been referred by a physician. Patients may be a candidate if you meet the following criteria:

• Patient is medically stable
• Those with a limb amputation are assessed for their ability to benefit and use a prosthesis safely
• Those who have experience polytrauma and/or prolonger hospitalization, resulting in significant deconditioning
• Patient is able to bear weight on affected limbs
• Patient is able to tolerate sitting up or getting out of bed for two hours, twice daily
• Patient is able to maintain functional gains made during rehabilitation

Please note that TOHRC will work with the Children’s Hospital of Eastern Ontario (CHEO) to determine the most appropriate facility, either CHEO or TRC, for clients 16 to 18 years of age.

Contact Us

For more information, please contact:

The Ottawa Hospital Rehabilitation Centre
505 Smyth Road
Ottawa, ON
K1H 8M2
Phone: (613) 737-7350 ext. 75508
Fax: (613) 733-8336

Last updated on: December 6th, 2016