ArticleBMC sports science, medicine & rehabilitation2024
Athletes' perspectives on return to sport after anterior cruciate ligament reconstruction and their strategies to reduce reinjury risk: a qualitative interview study.
Article in BMC sports science, medicine & rehabilitation, 2024. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 7 papers.
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Who cites it
7 citing papers in PubMed.
- Between the snap and the return: a prospective narrative analysis of four voices from inside anterior cruciate ligament reconstruction recovery.Physical therapy · 2026Article
- Snapchat-Based Structured Education Reduces Kinesiophobia and Improves Psychological Readiness and Perceived Knee Function Following Anterior Cruciate Ligament Reconstruction: A Quasi-Experimental Study.Journal of clinical medicine · 2026Article
- Longitudinal Changes in Kinesiophobia, Psychological Readiness, and Knee Function Across Anterior Cruciate Ligament Reconstruction Rehabilitation Phases.Healthcare (Basel, Switzerland) · 2026Article
- Patients' Mental Barriers in Rehabilitation after ACL Reconstruction: A Qualitative Interview Study.International journal of sports physical therapy · 2026Article
- On-field rehabilitation after anterior cruciate ligament injury in contact team sports: a scoping review of exercises, progression and key principles.BMJ open sport & exercise medicine · 2026Article
- "Returning to Sport Is Not Just About the Knee": Physiotherapists' Experiences of the Management of Anterior Cruciate Ligament Injury: A Qualitative Study.Journal of clinical medicine · 2025Article
- Do we need a guideline for all: a qualitative study on the experiences of male athletes following anterior cruciate ligament reconstruction.BMC sports science, medicine & rehabilitation · 2024Article
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5 authors.
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Abstract
backgroundInsights derived from athletes who have completed the final phase of rehabilitation and successfully returned to their respective sports after anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) reconstruction could potentially contribute to the enhancement of therapeutic strategies. Therefore, the aim of this study was to explore athletes' experiences, thoughts, and behaviours of final phase rehabilitation and return to sport after ACL reconstruction and to describe their thoughts about the risk of reinjury.
methodsThis qualitative interview study included individual semi-structured interviews with 15 athletes after ACL reconstruction. All athletes were aged between 15 and 35 years (median, 23 years), had returned to their preinjury contact sport at elite or recreational competitive level, rehabilitated with different physioterapists (working in hospital, primary care or sport clinics), and had undergone primary ACL reconstruction between 14 and 59 months (median, 23 months) before the interviews. Data were analysed using qualitative content analysis.
resultsAnalysis of the data resulted in the following 4 main categories related to athletes' experiences of the return to sport process and their thoughts about the risk of reinjury: Athletes' strategies for safe return to sport; Support during rehabilitation and return to sport; The rehabilitation journey was worthwhile to be able to play again; and Reinjury is beyond one's control.
conclusionsAthletes described strategies for a safe return to sport after ACL reconstruction, emphasizing continuous increased load, not forcing return to sport, injury prevention exercises, and seeking support from professionals and coaches. Despite loving their sport, the athletes had mixed feelings about undergoing additional rehabilitation if reinjured. The athletes recognized the high reinjury risk, attributing it to fate. These findings enhance understanding of athletes' return to sport experiences after ACL reconstruction, their strategies to minimize reinjury risk, which might help optimizing care for this patient group.
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