title: A longitudinal examination of athletes' emotional and cognitive responses to anterior cruciate ligament injury.
abstract: 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.
authors.affiliation: Sports Medicine Center, Mayo Clinic, Rochester, Minnesota 55905, USA.
authors.forename: M A
authors.initials: MA
authors.lastname: Morrey
authors.forename: M J
authors.initials: MJ
authors.lastname: Stuart
authors.forename: A M
authors.initials: AM
authors.lastname: Smith
authors.forename: D M
authors.initials: DM
authors.lastname: Wiese-Bjornstal
mesh_terms: 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