Early Return to Play After Anterior Cruciate Ligament Reconstruction: Is It Worth the Risk?

Abstract

Objective To compare the outcomes of a 6-month-long accelerated rehabilitation with a 12-month-long rehabilitation. There is no consensus on the optimal duration of rehabilitation after anterior cruciate ligament reconstruction (ACLR). Trends in the past decades have shifted towards accelerated programs, often resulting in a return to play (RTP) at 4–6 months, postoperatively. However, longer rehabilitation cycles have recently experienced renaissance due to a greater understanding of graft remodeling.Methods Adult athletes who underwent ACLR between 2015 and 2018 by the same surgeon were included and followed-up prospectively for 24 months. Participants were allocated into two groups based on their RTP (6 months vs. 12 months) and compared with graft elongation, reoperation rate, and sports career (quit or continue) outcomes.Results Fifty-four patients underwent accelerated rehabilitation and 92 completed conventional rehabilitation. The accelerated rehabilitation was significantly associated with graft elongation—the accelerated rehabilitation group (n=9) and the conventional rehabilitation group (n=0), p<0.001—and need for reoperation—the accelerated rehabilitation group (n=5) and the conventional rehabilitation group (n=1), p=0.026. Although the relationship between rehabilitation time and quitting competitive sports did not reach significance at 0.05 level (p=0.063), it was significant when p<0.1, thereby showing a clear trend.Conclusion Accelerated rehabilitation increased graft elongation risk. Knee laxity ≥3 mm measured at 6 months after ACLR should be accompanied by RTP time frame re-evaluation. Arthrometry checkups or routine magnetic resonance imaging shortly after RTP may be considered in cases of accelerated rehabilitation.