Current perspectives of Australian therapists on rehabilitation and return to sport after anterior cruciate ligament reconstruction: A survey

Abstract

Objectives: To investigate views and practices of Australian therapists on rehabilitation and return to sport (RTS) after anterior cruciate ligament reconstruction (ACLR).

Design: Survey-based study.

Setting: Online survey platform.

Participants: Australian Physiotherapists and Accredited Exercise Physiologists (n = 223).

Main outcome measures: 1) perceived benefit, timing and frequency of rehabilitation, 2) timing of RTS and information on RTS evaluation and discharge criteria.

Results: Therapists preferred to consult patients for the first time at 1-4 days (27.8%), ≤7 days (25.6%) or 7-14 days (30.5%) post-surgery. Within the first 6 weeks, 82.1% of therapists preferred patient visitation 1-2 times per week. Between 3 and 6 months, therapists mainly recommended less frequent visitation with a focus on home exercises. While 22.0% and 53.8% of therapists were willing to discharge patients for sport at 6-9 and 9-12 months, respectively, 22.9% preferred 12-18 months. Common RTS considerations were functional capacity (98.7%), strength (87.0%), lower limb and trunk mechanics (96.0%) and psychological readiness (87.9%). Knee strength was evaluated via manual muscle testing (33.0%), hand held (26.7%) and isokinetic (11.8%) dynamometry. For functional evaluation, 84.3% of therapists employed a hop battery (≥2 hop tests).

Conclusions: This survey revealed variation in beliefs and practices surrounding rehabilitation and RTS evaluation in Australian therapists.

Keywords: Anterior cruciate ligament reconstruction; Physical therapy; Rehabilitation; Return to sport.