Adding A Structured Educational Session to the Rehabilitation Program of Soccer Players Following Anterior Cruciate Ligament Reconstruction: A Feasibility Study.
Abdullah Almuhaya, Ali Albarrati, Ahmed Alhowimel and 1 others
PMID 36793576WHAT IT FOUND
Adding a structured educational session to usual ACLR rehab was feasible and acceptable: 35 of 36 soccer players agreed, and 30 completed one-week follow-up.
In the educational group, fear scores were lower and readiness scores higher, but this was not a test of effectiveness.
Key findings
0135 players consented to randomization, and 30 completed the one-week follow-up.
02All participants said the intervention and randomization were acceptable.
03After one week, the educational group reported less fear of re-injury and greater psychological readiness, while knee function did not change.
STILL TO COME
How it was doneWhat they foundWhat it means for PTs
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What it does not show
The study was small and not powered to test whether the educational session improves outcomes. Only one center in Saudi Arabia was used, so results may not apply to other settings. Follow-up lasted one week, too short to judge knee function or return to play. Five participants did not complete follow-up, and the authors said this loss rate is close to a level that could bias results. The groups differed in graft type, and surgery type was self-reported, so baseline differences and recall bias may matter. Some players watched a recording rather than the live session, which may have made the education less standardized.
The easy way to misread this
Do not read the one-week score changes as proof that the educational session works. All players also continued usual ACL rehabilitation, and the study was designed to test feasibility, not effectiveness.