Keywords
orthopedic surgery
recovery
soccer
military personnel
How to Cite
Abstract
Introduction: Anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) injury is common in sports and military contexts. ACL reconstruction (ACLR) is the standard treatment, but there is still no consensus on the ideal criteria for return to operative activities, which are essential to prevent new injuries.
Objective: To describe the epidemiological profile (self-reported physical function and psychological readiness) and to evaluate the functional performance of Brazilian Navy personnel after recovery from ACLR surgery.
Methods: A retrospective cohort study was conducted in 93 Brazilian Navy service members who underwent ACLR from January 2017 onwards. Questionnaires (anamnesis, self-reported physical function and psychological readiness) were applied via Internet. Twenty-one service members participated in the functional performance assessment (isokinetic dynamometry of the knee at 60, 180 and 300°/s). Student's t-test and the Mann-Whitney test were used for independent samples.
Results: A total of 93 military personnel (96.7% male) participated in the study, with mean of age of 33.7 years. The majority (82.8%) reported satisfaction with the treatment and 53.8% had not yet returned to the pre-injury functional level. Soccer was identified as the main sports activity associated with the occurrence of the injury. In functional performance, the agonist/antagonist ratio was less than 60% on the operated side, with no significant differences between the limbs.
Conclusion: Soccer was the main activity associated with ACL injury, and more than half of the military personnel reported not having returned to the pre-injury functional level. There were no significant differences in isokinetic evaluation between the operated and non-operated side.
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