PhD Scientific Days 2025

Health Sciences III.

Psychological Factors in Rehabilitation After ACL Reconstruction: A Cross-Sectional Study

Name of the presenter

Varró Tina

Institute/workplace of the presenter

Szegedi Tudományegyetem

Authors

Varró Tina¹, Domján Andrea¹

1: Szegedi Tudományegyetem

Text of the abstract

Title:
Psychological Factors in Rehabilitation After ACL Reconstruction: A Cross-Sectional Study
Introduction:
Psychological readiness is a key element in returning to sport after anterior cruciate ligament reconstruction (ACLR). Factors such as fear of reinjury, confidence, and self-efficacy can influence functional recovery, yet their interrelationships and prevalence remain underexplored in athletic populations.
Aims:
This study aims to reveal the relationship between knee joint function and psychological factors such as kinesiophobia, perceived self-efficacy, and psychological readiness to return to sport among participants who have undergone ACLR, focusing on the level of kinesiophobia, perceived self-efficacy, and psychological readiness to return to sport.
Method:
A cross-sectional study will be conducted among 18–40-year-old athletes who underwent ACLR 12–36 months prior and were engaged in high-risk sports at a competitive level before injury. Psychological data will be collected using three validated self-reported questionnaires: the Tampa Scale for Kinesiophobia (TSK), the ACL-Return to Sport after Injury Scale (ACL-RSI), and the Knee Self-Efficacy Scale (K-SES). Additionally, the International Knee Documentation Committee (IKDC) questionnaire will be used to assess subjective knee function. Descriptive statistics, correlation analysis, and subgroup comparisons will be performed.
Results:
It is expected that higher kinesiophobia and lower self-efficacy scores will be associated with poorer self-reported knee function and lower psychological readiness. Identifying specific psychological profiles may provide insight into individual rehabilitation needs.
Conclusion:
Understanding psychological factors in post-ACLR patients can help clinicians better tailor rehabilitation strategies and decision-making related to return-to-sport readiness.
Funding:
The study is conducted without external funding.