All participants (n=118) | Early reconstruction plus exercise therapy (n=59) | Exercise therapy plus delayed reconstruction (n=30) | Exercise therapy alone (n=29) | |
Baseline meniscus damage | – | Worse sport/rec | Less pain | – |
Osteochondral lesion | – | Worse QOL | – | – |
Graft rupture/ contralateral ACL rupture | More pain Worse sport/rec Worse QOL | – | More pain Worse sport/rec Worse QOL | – |
1 non-ACL surgery* | More pain More symptoms Worse sport/rec | More pain More symptoms Worse sport/rec | – | More pain |
≥2 non-ACL surgeries* | More symptoms Worse QOL | More pain More symptoms Worse sport/rec Worse QOL | – | – |
Worse SF-36 MCS | More pain | – | – | – |
Worse baseline KOOS4 scores | – | More symptoms Worse sport/rec Worse QOL | – | – |
Exercise therapy alone† | Less symptoms | – | – | – |
*Compared with no non-ACL surgeries.
†Compared with the early reconstruction plus exercise therapy group.
Statistically significant effects (p<0.05) are presented for prognostic factors associated with 5-year outcome(s) assessed using adjusted multivariable analyses.
‘Worse’ SF-36 MCS and KOOS4 scores represent lower scores on these measures which range from 100 (best possible score) to 0 (worse possible score).
Non-ACL surgery: total number of knee surgery events not performed in the same surgical session as ACL reconstruction or revision.
KOOS4, a mean score from four Knee injury and Osteoarthritis Outcome Score subscales (pain, symptoms, sport/rec and QOL); MCS, Mental Component Score; QOL, quality of life; sport/rec, sport and recreation function; SF-36, 36-item Short-Form.