title: Factors affecting return to play after anterior cruciate ligament reconstruction: a review of the current literature.
abstract: Anterior cruciate ligament reconstruction has been reported to produce normal or near-normal knee results in > 90% of patients. A recent meta-analysis suggested that, despite normal or near-normal knees, many athletes do not return to sports. Rates and timing of return to competitive athletics are quite variable depending on the graft type, the age of the patient, the sport, and the level of play. Even when athletes do return to play, often they do not return to their previous level. Graft failure, subjective physical factors, and psychological factors, including fear of reinjury and lack of motivation, appear to play a large role in patients' ability to return to sporting activities.
authors.affiliation: Department of Orthopaedic Surgery, Pennsylvania State University College of Medicine, Hershey, PA.
authors.forename: Matthew
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Bauer
authors.forename: Brian T
authors.initials: BT
authors.lastname: Feeley
authors.forename: John R
authors.initials: JR
authors.lastname: Wawrzyniak
authors.forename: Gregory
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Pinkowsky
authors.forename: Robert A
authors.initials: RA
authors.lastname: Gallo
mesh_terms: D000070598:Anterior Cruciate Ligament Injuries; D059549:Anterior Cruciate Ligament Reconstruction / Q000534:rehabilitation*; D056352:Athletes / Q000523:psychology / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D006801:Humans; D009042:Motivation; D012008:Recurrence; D012421:Rupture; D013177:Sports; D014945:Wound Healing