Clinical Approaches and Return to Sport Guidelines Following Anterior Cruciate Ligament Reconstruction: A Survey of Pakistani Physiotherapists
Abstract
Background: Physiotherapists play an important role in the rehabilitation of post-operative Anterior Cruciate Ligament Reconstruction (ACLR). Return to Sport after ACLR is one of the primaries aims of the patients.
Objective: This survey aimed to define the present clinical treatment approach of Pakistani physiotherapists for treating ACLR patients and find out the standards used for return to sports after ACLR.
Methodology: An online questionnaire consisting of four separate sections, demographic data, and medical practice about ACLR post-operative therapy comprising the parameters for return to sports was used to survey Pakistani physiotherapists. Descriptive analysis was performed for demographic and professional characteristics of the physiotherapists.
Results: Out of 1375, 710 physiotherapists responded to the questionnaire. The response rate was 51.6%. Two-hundred and eighteen (40.4%) physical therapists showed that post-ACLR rehabilitation should be started lower than one-week post-surgery, 48.1% recommended that therapy be initiated between one and two weeks and 11.5% said beginning it later three or more weeks. The standards used for return to sports allowance standards were associated to physical aspects such as quadriceps strength (76.5%), hamstring strength (69.1), hip muscle strength (66.3%), and knee ROM (65.1%). A few therapists used functional (17%) and psychological (18.1%) characteristics of their clients to support return to sports choice.
Conclusion: The study showed that the majority of the physiotherapists focused on the parameters related to physical factors for return to sports and a small number worked on the self-reported functional scale and psychological parameters.
Keywords: Anterior Cruciate Ligament, Physiotherapists, return to sports
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