The first recovery phase for a patient after surgery is walking for 12 weeks.

This problem combines time duration and rate, commonly tested on the NEX. The first recovery phase lasts 12 weeks. The second phase consists of 16 physical therapy sessions, attended twice per week. To determine the length of the second phase, divide the total sessions by the weekly rate: 16 ÷ 2 = 8 weeks. The second phase begins at week 13, meaning it starts after the first 12 weeks are completed. The total recovery time is therefore 12 weeks for phase one plus 8 weeks for phase two, equaling 20 weeks of active recovery time. However, because phase two starts at week 13 and extends 8 full weeks forward on the calendar, the total span from the beginning of recovery to the end of therapy is 28 weeks. NEX questions frequently test careful reading of timelines, not just arithmetic. Option B correctly reflects the full duration from start to finish.

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