Preoperative Anxiety and Need for Information Prior to Anterior Cruciate Ligament Surgery: Epidemiological Study with...

Preoperative anxiety can negatively influence postoperative recovery in orthopedic surgery and may be modulated by patients' need for information. Despite the recognized role of psychosocial factors in anterior cruciate ligament reconstruction (ACLR), preoperative anxiety has been insufficiently described in this population. This study aimed to assess preoperative anxiety and information needs in ACLR patients, and to identify patient profiles using an unsupervised clustering approach. A single-center cross-sectional study was conducted in adults scheduled for outpatient ACLR between February 2022 and March 2023. Patients completed the French version of the Amsterdam Preoperative Anxiety and Information Scale (APAIS) after the anesthesia consultation. Descriptive analyses and between-group comparisons were performed. An exploratory k-prototypes clustering analysis was used to identify patient profiles based on demographic variables, APAIS scores, and satisfaction with preoperative information. Of the 381 eligible patients, 319 completed the APAIS (46.7% women; mean age 31.2 ± 10.9 years). Clinically relevant preoperative anxiety (score >11) was present in 16.3% of participants and was significantly more frequent in women. Information needs were low in 50.8%, moderate in 35.4%, and high in 13.8%. Clustering analysis revealed three profiles: (1) predominantly female, anxious patients with high anxiety scores; (2) patients with low anxiety and minimal information needs; and (3) patients with moderate anxiety but high information needs, who reported the greatest benefit from the surgeon's preoperative consultation. Preoperative anxiety and information needs were low and sex-related in patients undergoing ACLR. Distinct patient profiles highlighted the value of preoperative anxiety assessment. Systematic preoperative anxiety assessment could allow to enhance preoperative communication and optimize care management in ACLR patients.