Table 5.

Clinical implications

Key findings from review	Clinical implications
1. Acknowledge the importance of psychological, social and contextual factors	Psychological, social and contextual factors should be acknowledged and not be viewed as less important than physical factors. Given the wide range of psychological, social and contextual factors present, a holistic approach may more adequately determine the individual needs
2. Psychological, social and contextual factors are dynamic and change over time	Psychological, social and contextual factors should be assessed early and monitored throughout recovery stages as they change from the acute to RTS stage of recovery
3. Consider addressing social and contextual factors to optimise care	Strategies to develop a strong therapeutic alliance and engaging athletes in their care while considering how broader environmental and societal factors impact decision-making should be vital components of recovery
4. Focus on the individual	Interpretation and experience of psychological, social and contextual factors during recovery is individual, and will facilitate the development of a recovery plan that best addresses individual needs and most likely to achieve success.