title: Current trends in reconstruction surgery and rehabilitation of anterior cruciate ligament in Turkey.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  This study aims to determine the current approaches to surgical techniques and rehabilitation protocols used in anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) reconstruction performed by Turkish orthopedic surgeons and to compare their results with the data of "ACL Study Group".
  
  
  METHODS
  A questionnaire consisting of 16 questions on surgical techniques, preoperative prerequisites, routine postoperative applications, rehabilitation approaches, and return to sport following ACL reconstruction was sent via e-mail to the 55 orthopedic surgeons performing annually 25 or more ACL reconstructions.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Response rate to questionnaire was 70.9% (n=39). Nineteen surgeons (48.7%) regularly performed only hamstring tendon (HT) graft, and four surgeons (10.3%) performed only patellar tendon (PT) graft, while 16 surgeons (41%) performed both HT and PT grafts. Three (18.8%) of the 16 surgeons who performed both HT and PT grafts had individual rehabilitation protocols for the two graft types. No statistically significant difference was found between the responses for two graft types in terms of the starting times for specific activities (p>0.05). Rehabilitation protocols were similar to the current data of "ACL Study Group". The use of a postoperative brace and continuous passive motion (CPM) was different between Turkish surgeons and "ACL Study Group". The CPM and postoperative brace use was more common in Turkey.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  There are only a few differences in the postoperative approach of ACL reconstruction with HT and PT grafts performed by Turkish orthopedic surgeons. The data obtained from the Turkish orthopedic surgeons showed similarities with the "ACL Study Group" current approaches.
authors.affiliation: Yeditepe University Faculty of Health Sciences, Department of Physical Therapy and Rehabilitation, İstanbul, Turkey. dilbercoskunsu@gmail.com
authors.forename: Dilber
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Coşkunsu
authors.forename: Volga
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Bayrakcı  Tunay
authors.forename: Işık
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Akgün
mesh_terms: D016118:Anterior Cruciate Ligament / Q000601:surgery*; D000070598:Anterior Cruciate Ligament Injuries; D006801:Humans; D019637:Orthopedic Procedures / Q000534:rehabilitation / Q000639:trends; D017847:Patellar Ligament / Q000637:transplantation; D010818:Practice Patterns, Physicians'; D019651:Plastic Surgery Procedures / Q000639:trends; D012421:Rupture / Q000534:rehabilitation / Q000601:surgery; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D013710:Tendons / Q000637:transplantation*; D014421:Turkey