Short-term fear of movement improves less after anterior cruciate ligament reconstruction with concomitant meniscus repair.
David Werner, Alyx Jorgensen, Austin Post and 4 others
PMID 38103357WHAT IT FOUND
Fear of movement improved less after ACL reconstruction with concomitant meniscus repair than after isolated ACL reconstruction by 6 months.
Readiness to return to sport did not differ. Expect slower fear reduction after meniscus repair.
Key findings
01Fear of movement scores changed differently between groups over time (p = 0.03), improving less after ACL reconstruction with concomitant meniscus repair by 6 months.
02Readiness to return to sport scores did not change differently between groups over time (p = 0.07).
03Individuals with concomitant meniscus repair had post-operative weight bearing and range of motion restrictions for up to 8 weeks.
STILL TO COME
How it was doneWhat they foundWhat it means for PTs
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What it does not show
Only 35 participants were analysed, and 54.3% had concomitant meniscus repair. Most participants were female (65.7%), though a secondary analysis found no sex difference in progression. The study did not assess how each patient's specific weight bearing or range of motion restrictions affected scores. Only one participant reported return to prior activity by 6 months, so readiness scores may not capture later psychological differences. This was an observational follow-up analysis, not a randomised comparison.
The easy way to misread this
Do not conclude that concomitant meniscus repair worsens psychological readiness to return to sport. The readiness outcome did not show a significant group difference (p = 0.07), and the study was a small observational cohort.