Orthopedic & Muscular System: Current Research
Open Access

Anterior Cruciate Ligament Online Journals

Anterior Cruciate Ligament (ACL) injuries are very common in an athletic population. An ACL injury is a major injury, with a devastating effect on the athletes’ sports participation. The goal after an ACL surgery is to return to sport, and ideally to the same level of sports participation as prior to the injury. In the literature, reports of returning to competitive sports at the same pre-injury level are rather low and differ from 33 to 63%. General consensus exists that a successful return to sports relies heavily on the rehabilitation program. Today it is generally believed that muscle strength, neuromuscular control and fear of re-injury are critical factors for a successful return to sports and must be considered as imperative in the rehabilitation program. In this review, these parameters are described and based upon that, some criteria for a successful return to sport are provided. Indeed, research has proven that a good rehabilitation program, with demanding criteria can reduce the risk of re-injury, prepare the athlete to perform at the same pre-injury level and secure the safe transition of the player from physiotherapy to normal training. More research is needed in order to determine exact criteria for the return to sport. This evidently will lead to a higher percentage of successful return to sport.