A longitudinal examination of athletes' emotional and cognitive responses to anterior cruciate ligament injury.
OBJECTIVE
To determine the emotional and cognitive impact of injury and surgery on physical recovery in injured athletes.


METHODS
A prospective longitudinal study comparing the psychosocial and physical recovery of competitive and recreational athletes.


METHODS
Tertiary-care sports medicine center.


METHODS
Twenty-seven athletes (15 men and 12 women) who required anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) reconstruction surgery.


METHODS
A repeated-measures design used to compare the psychosocial and physical changes for 6 months after ACL surgery.


METHODS
Emotional (mood) and cognitive (coping) functions and physical recovery (range of motion, physician-rated level of recovery, and physician permission to return to sport).


RESULTS
There was a significant time-effect difference in mood, with a greater mood disturbance and recovery rate for competitive athletes than recreational athletes. Differences in mood and pain coping were significant at 2 weeks and 2 months after surgery.


CONCLUSIONS
Athletes experience significant mood changes throughout rehabilitation, which may hinder rehabilitation early in the process. Longer-term rehabilitation was not impacted by mood or pain coping. Future studies might focus on examining the process over a longer time period (1-2 years after surgery). Physicians should be aware of these findings and appropriately counsel and motivate athletes toward more favorable positive psychological and physical outcomes.
Morrey
M A
MA
Sports Medicine Center, Mayo Clinic, Rochester, Minnesota 55905, USA.
Stuart
M J
MJ
Smith
A M
AM
Wiese-Bjornstal
D M
DM
D000223:Adaptation, Psychological; D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000339:Affect; D000704:Analysis of Variance; D016118:Anterior Cruciate Ligament / Q000601:surgery; D000070598:Anterior Cruciate Ligament Injuries; D001265:Athletic Injuries / Q000523:psychology* / Q000534:rehabilitation / Q000601:surgery; D016009:Chi-Square Distribution; D005260:Female; D007722:Health Knowledge, Attitudes, Practice; D006801:Humans; D008137:Longitudinal Studies; D008297:Male; D010147:Pain Measurement; D011379:Prognosis; D011446:Prospective Studies; D016059:Range of Motion, Articular / Q000502:physiology; D012803:Sick Role; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D014949:Wounds, Nonpenetrating / Q000523:psychology* / Q000534:rehabilitation / Q000601:surgery