Functional and Psychological Preparedness of Athletes Post ACL Repair

Abstract

ABSTRACT Objective: This study was conducted to see whether those who had anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) reconstructions on their dominant legs performed better than those who had them on their nondominant legs 1–10 years after the surgery. Materials and Methods: An examination of people who sustained injuries to their dominant (n = 25) and nondominant (n = 25) legs between 1 and 10 years after ACL repair was undertaken in a cross-sectional research with 50 people aged 20–38. Everyone takes the fear avoidance belief questionnaire for physical activity (FABQ-PA), the lower extremity functional scale (LEFS), and the anterior cruciate ligament return to sport after injury (ACL-RSI) survey. Results: There was no statistically significant difference between the groups on the ACL-RSI, LEFS, and FABQ-PA (U = 254, P = 0.26; U = 314.4, P = 0.95; and U = 279.4, P = 0.53 correspondingly). Conclusion: Functional performance and patient mental health should be evaluated 1–10 years after ACL surgery. However, there is no correlation between which leg was the dominant one and the results. As a result, it has been shown that both dominant and nondominant leg injuries heal similarly over time. Future studies should examine additional variables that affect healing and return-to-sport results to improve rehabilitation and optimize long-term functional outcomes for individuals after ACL repair.