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. Author manuscript; available in PMC: 2015 Mar 1.
Published in final edited form as: Br J Sports Med. 2013 Oct 11;48(5):356–364. doi: 10.1136/bjsports-2012-091786

TABLE 1.

PATIENT CHARACTERISTICS

Return to Sport Rate (%) Variables Associated
with Return to Sport
Variables Not
Associated with Return
to Sport
Literature Level of Evidence
[57]/Risk of Bias [55]
Total Patients Mean Age (Years) Graft Type Pre-Injury Athletic
Participation
Patient Follow-up Pre-Injury Level Modified Level Did Not
Return
Knee Impairment
or Functional
Psychological Knee Impairment
or Functional
Psychological
Overall 1574 (67% M/ 33% F) 27.3 * 378 PT/ 867 HS/ 329 NR ¥ 50.7 32.9 17.2
Ardern et al.[58] 4 / High 503 (68% M / 32% F) 27.2 503 HS Competitive 1 year 33.4 33.6 33.0 LSI ≥
85% hop tests
- IKDC Grade -
Arvidsson et
al[59]
4 / High 87 (97% M /
3% F)
25.3 87 PT NR 7.9 years 25.3 66.7 8.0 Higher
quadriceps torque
- Hamstring torque -
Baltaci et
al.[61]
4 / High 15 (gender NR) 29.6 NR Recreational 1.5–2 years NR NR NR Faster 6 meter
shuttle run test,
higher hamstring torque
- LSI on hop tests,
Lysholm Knee Score,
Step hop test, Vertical Jump,
10 step climb test
-
Barrett et al.[60] 4 /High 45 (73% M/
27% F)
26.4 45 PT Competitive and
recreational
3 years 53.3 31.1 15.6 Lower knee effusion
and pain
- Anterior knee laxity -
Gobbi et al.[63] 2 / High 60 (67%
M/33% F)
30.4* 60 HS At least
recreational
1,2,3 years 100 0 0 - Higher pre-operative
psychovitality
- -
Gobbi et al.[62] 4 /High 100 (67% M/
33% F)
28 50 PT /
50 HS
At least
recreational
2 years 65.0 24.0 11.0 Higher Marx
Activity Score
Higher pre-operative
psychovitality
Lysholm Knee Score, IKDC
subjective form score,
IKDC Grade
-
Heijne et al.[64] 2 / High 64 (55%
M/45% F)
30.1 32 PT /
32 HS
NR 1 year NR NR NR Higher pre-operative
quadriceps torque
- Pre-operative knee extension
ROM, pre-operative anterior
knee laxity, pre-injury
sports activity level
-
Kvist et al.[48] 4 / High 62 (55%
M/45% F)
27 55 PT /
7 HS
NR 3–4 years 53.0 NR NR - Lower TSK score - -
Langford et
al.[68]
4 / High 87 (63%
M/37% F)
27.5 4 PT /
83 HS
Competitive 6 months;
1 year
51.0 NR NR - Higher ACL-RSI LSI on hop tests,
postoperative
anterior knee laxity
ERAIQ
Lee DY et
al.[6]
4 / High 64 (95% M/5% F) 24.8 64 HS Competitive and
recreational
5 years 43.8 26.5 29.7 Higher Lysholm Knee Score,
higher IKDC subjective
form score, IKDC Grade A&B
- - -
Lee S et
al.[67]
2 / High 42 (88%
M/12% F)
30.3* 42 HS NR 2 years NR NR NR Higher postoperative
tibial IR, ER,
and total rotation at 0
degrees of knee extension
- - -
Lentz et
al.[69]
2 / High 94 (64%
M/36% F)
22.4 PT and HS At least
recreational
1 year 55.0 NR NR Lower knee effusion,
fewer episodes
of instability,
lower pain,
higher quadriceps torque-body
weight ratio, higher IKDC
subjective form score
Lower TSK score Postoperative anterior
knee laxity,
postoperative
knee extension
and flexion ROM,
LSI quadriceps strength
-
Mikkelsen et
al.[70]
4 / High 44 (77%
M/23% F)
24.1* 44 PT Recreational
(1 no participation)
2.5 years 38.6 52.3 9.1 Higher quadriceps
torque
- - -
Thomeé et
al.[49]
2 / High 38 (66%
M/34% F)
29.7 12 PT/26 HS At least
recreational
1 year NR NR NR - Higher pre-operative
K-SES
- -
Tripp et
al.[65]
2 / High 49 (55%
M/45% F)
29.2 49 PT At least
recreational
1 year NR NR NR - Lower TSK score - Negative affect,
catastrophizing
Webster et
al.[66]
2 / High 220 (56%
M/44%F)
29.2 NR At least
recreational
1 year 39.5 29.1 31.4 - Higher ACL-RSI - -

M = Male; F = Female; PT = patellar tendon; HS = hamstring tendon; NR = not reported; LSI = limb symmetry index; OKC = open kinetic chain; CKC = closed kinetic chain; ROM = range of motion; IKDC = International Knee Documentation Committee; TSK = Tampa Scale of Kinesiophobia; ACL-RSI = Anterior Cruciate Ligament-Return to Sport after Injury Scale; ERAIQ = Emotional Responses of Athletes to Injury Questionnaire; K-SES = Knee Self Efficacy Scale; IR = internal rotation; ER = external rotation;

*

weighted mean age

¥

The Overall “NR” in the Graft Type column includes the 94 patients in the Lentz et al.[68] study, as specific numbers for patients with each graft type were not provided.

Return to pre-injury sport defined as patients achieving the same activity level or same sport post-surgery as their pre-injury activity level. Modified sports activity defined as patients achieving a lesser activity level as compared to their pre-injury activity level. No return to sport defined as patients unable to participate in any athletic activity.