Less than half of athletes return to their pre-injury level or to competitive sports in the period 2 to 7 years after ACL reconstruction surgery, although younger athletes return at a higher rate, reports a new Australian study.1
Previous studies by the same Australian researchers showed that the rate of return to competitive sport at 12 months after ACL reconstruction at between 49% and 92%, depending on how return to competitive sport was defined. Previous research had also produced conflicting results regarding gender differences in return to sport after such surgery, with one study showing similar return rates between male and female athletes, but another reporting males returning to sport earlier than females.
The new study found that:
"The current study demonstrates that overall, the return-to-sport rate in the medium-term follow-up appears to remain relatively low (less than 50%) and only somewhat better than the level achieved at 12 months after surgery. Further, an individual patient's participation at 12 months is not predictive of whether that individual will be participating in the medium term after surgery," said lead author, Claire L. Adern, of the School of Physiotherapy at La Trobe University, Bundoora, Victoria, Australia. "This means 12 months is too early to judge the success of ACL reconstruction surgery for an individual patient."
1. Arden CL, Taylor N, Feller J, Webster K. Return-to-Sport Outcomes at 2 to 7 Years After Anterior Cruciate Ligament Reconstruction Surgery. Am. J. Sports Med 2011;20(10)(published online before print September 23, 2011).
Posted September 25, 2011
Links:
[1] https://mail.momsteam.com/anterior-cruciate-ligament/year-after-reconstructive-surgery-two-thirds-athletes-have-not-returned-to-sports
[2] https://mail.momsteam.com/health-safety/acl-reconstructive-surgery-return-to-play-not-guaranteed
[3] https://mail.momsteam.com/health-safety/acl-reconstruction-using-cadaver-replacement-ligaments-not-best-choice-for-younger-athletes