Association between knee function and kinesiophobia 6 months after anterior cruciate ligament reconstruction.
Yuichi Isaji, Takumi Yamada, Tomohiro Oka and 2 others
PMID 36744197WHAT IT FOUND
Six months after ACL reconstruction, patients with more fear of movement had worse hop test performance and more anterior knee pain.
Younger age and male sex were also linked to higher kinesiophobia scores.
Key findings
01Kinesiophobia scores were significantly associated with Single-Leg Hop Test performance and anterior knee pain scores at six months post-surgery.
02Male sex and younger age were also associated with higher levels of kinesiophobia.
03The study was cross-sectional, so it cannot prove that kinesiophobia causes poor function or pain.
STILL TO COME
How it was doneWhat they foundWhat it means for PTs
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What it does not show
The study design is cross-sectional, meaning it cannot establish causality; it is unclear if fear of movement leads to worse function/pain or vice versa. The sample size was small (66 patients), which limited the ability to analyze other factors like surgical technique differences or Q-angle effects. The study included both bone-patellar tendon-bone and hamstring grafts without controlling for the potential impact of graft type on pain or function. The population was relatively young (mean age 17.3 years), so findings may not generalize to older adults undergoing ACLR.
Declared interests
The authors declare no conflicts of interest.
The easy way to misread this
Do not interpret the association between kinesiophobia and poor function as proof that treating fear will automatically improve physical outcomes. The cross-sectional design cannot determine whether fear causes poor performance or if poor performance causes fear.