title: Return to sport after ACL reconstruction: how, when and why? A narrative review of current evidence.
abstract: Allowing a patient to return to sport and unrestricted physical activity after ACL injury and reconstruction is one of the most challenging and difficult decisions an orthopaedic surgeon has to make. Indeed, many factors have to be taken into account before it can be considered safe for a patients to load a reconstructed knee. The current literature contains plenty of studies aimed at evaluating return to sport, and the factors that may affect or predict this outcome, e.g. intrinsic factors like genetics, biology, type of lesion, anatomical features, motivation and psychology, and extrinsic factors such as graft type, surgical technique, rehabilitation protocols, and biological support. It is possible that awareness of these issues could help the clinician to optimise outcomes, and possibly avoid failures too, although as yet no universal criteria for resuming sport have been produced.
authors.affiliation: Clinical Orthopaedic and Trauma II - Lab. Biomechanics and Technology Innovation, Rizzoli Orthopaedic Institute, Bologna, Italy ; SIGASCOT President.
authors.forename: Stefano
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Zaffagnini
authors.affiliation: Clinical Orthopaedic and Trauma II - Lab. Biomechanics and Technology Innovation, Rizzoli Orthopaedic Institute, Bologna, Italy ; SIGASCOT Sports Committee.
authors.forename: Alberto
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Grassi
authors.affiliation: Clinical Orthopaedic and Trauma II - Lab. Biomechanics and Technology Innovation, Rizzoli Orthopaedic Institute, Bologna, Italy.
authors.forename: Margherita
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Serra
authors.affiliation: Clinical Orthopaedic and Trauma II - Lab. Biomechanics and Technology Innovation, Rizzoli Orthopaedic Institute, Bologna, Italy.
authors.forename: Maurilio
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Marcacci
keywords: anterior cruciate ligament; injury; knee; rehabilitation; sport