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Return to preoperative level of play after ACL repair may take longer than expected
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Patients who underwent ACL repair and had participated regularly in sports preoperatively were found to have difficulty returning to their previous level of play by 2 years postoperatively.
Researchers analyzed 122 competitive- and recreational-level athletes who had not returned to play at the 1-year mark following ACL reconstruction. Patients completed a questionnaire detailing ability to return to play, sports participation and psychological responses at 1 year and 2 years postoperatively. IKDC knee evaluation, subjective knee evaluation and hop tests were also used by an independent physical therapist to determine physical function at 1 year postoperatively.
Return to play at any level was observed in 91% of patients. Regular sports participation was observed in 66% of the patients, with a return to preinjury level of sports participation observed in 41% of the patients and a lower level of sports participation observed in 25% of patients at 2 years following reconstruction.
Inability to return to preinjury level of sports participation at 2 years postoperatively was most likely in patients who gave more negative psychological responses, had a previous ACL repair in either knee, had worse hop test symmetry and worse subjective knee function, according to the researchers. – by Christian Ingram
Disclosure: The researchers report no relevant financial disclosures.
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