Relationships between Jumping Performance and Psychological Readiness to Return to Sport 6 Months Following Anterior Cruciate Ligament Reconstruction: A Cross-Sectional Study

Abstract

Background: Investigating the relationship between functional capacity and psychological readiness is of paramount importance when planning sport resumption following knee surgery. The aim of this study was to prospectively assess clinical and functional outcomes in athletes 6 months after primary anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) reconstruction and to evaluate whether jumping ability is related to psychological readiness to return to sport following ACL surgery. Methods: Patients who underwent ACL reconstruction were prospectively enrolled and evaluated pre-operatively and 6 months after surgery. Assessment included Lysholm score, International Knee Documentation Committee (IKDC) Subjective Knee Form, Tegner activity level, and the ACL–Return to Sport after Injury (ACL-RSI) scale. Jumping ability was instrumentally assessed by an infrared optical acquisition system using a test battery including mono- and bipodalic vertical jump and a side hop test. Patients were dichotomized by ACL-RSI into two groups: group A (ACL-RSI > 60), and group B (ACL-RSI p p = 0.161). Similarly, improvement in most variables regarding jumping ability were observed at follow-up (p 60), while 11 were allocated in group B (ACL-RSI p p = 0.065). Conclusions: Patients with higher values of ACL-RSI scores showed better functional and clinical outcomes as well as improved performance 6 months after ACL reconstruction

Keywords

• anterior cruciate ligament
• ACL reconstruction
• return to sports
• ACL-RSI
• psychological readiness
• vertical jump