Returning to Sport After Anterior Cruciate Ligament Reconstruction in Physically Active Individuals

Background Physically active individuals are susceptible to sports injuries, one of which is anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) injury. ACL injury can be managed conservatively or by surgical reconstruction. Returning to sport (RTS) after ACL injury is one of the main goals of ACL reconstruction (ACLR). However, rates of return vary and can be affected by several factors. The objectives of this study were to estimate the rate of return and to identify the factors that might affect RTS after ACLR.  Methods This was a cross-sectional study, including individuals who had an ACLR. Participants were sent an online survey included questions about their injury, sport participation, International Knee Documentation Committee form (IKDC), and the Tampa Scale for Kinesiophobia (TSK-11). Participants who had their surgery in the period between January 2011 to December 2018 and participated in sports regularly were included. Descriptive statistics were performed. Chi-square and student t-tests were performed to explore the differences between participants who returned and the ones that did not.  Results A total of 93 participants were included. The majority (69.9%) were playing soccer before the injury. Though more than half (61.3%) returned to sports, only 29% participated at the same level before the injury. Fear of reinjury was the most frequent reason for delaying or not returning (30%), followed by pain (29). Significantly better IKDC (p=0.002) and TSK-11 (p<0.001) scores were noted in participants who had returned to sports. On the other hand, participants' age, body mass index (BMI), time from injury to surgery, time since surgery, and times of sports participation per week were not found to be significantly different between those who returned versus those who did not. Conclusion The participants in this study had a low rate of return with fear of reinjury being the most common reason not to return. However, a participant's IKDC and TSK-11 scores were associated factors for RTS, thus optimizing those factors after surgery is crucial.