Return to recreational sports activity after anterior cruciate ligament reconstruction: a one- to six-year follow-up study

Introduction The aim of this study was to evaluate mid-term return to recreational sport in general population and identify factors related with sports return. Methods Retrospective evaluation of 99 recreational sports players (Tegner score of 6) with ACL arthroscopic reconstructions with hamstring autograft, between 2006–2011. 74 male and 25 female with middle age of 30 years (14–52). We made a questionnaire focused on sports level before injury and after surgery, and different scales: Lysholm, Tegner Activity Level, IKDC and a Likert scale for quantify their motivation for return to sports. Results With a medium follow-up of 36 months, 90 patients (91.9 %) had returned to recreational sport. 51 (51.52 %) had returned to sports at the same level, and these are those with lower BMI (average 23), higher IKDC and Lysholm scores ( p < 0.01) and also they believe that sport is an important activity. Only 9 % of patients left sports. They were principally male athletes (88 %), with higher medium age (32), lesser time between injury and surgery (22 months), higher BMI (26), in comparison with athletes that return to sports. Conclusions The results suggest good mid-term return to recreational sports in general population. The following factors had a statistically significant influence on the return to sports activity: type of sport, sex and functional state of the operated knee (IKDC-Lysholm). Psychological and social factors may have a fundamental influence on return to sports activity.