All participants (n=118) | Early reconstruction plus exercise therapy (n=59) | Exercise therapy plus delayed reconstruction (n=30) | Exercise therapy alone (n=29) | |
Demographics | ||||
Sex, male (n (%)) | 86 (73) | 47 (80) | 19 (63) | 20 (69) |
Age at baseline (mean (SD)) | 26 (5) | 27 (5) | 25 (5) | 26 (5) |
Current or past smoker at baseline (n (%)) | 30 (28) | 17 (32) | 5 (19) | 8 (31) |
Education, university level (n (%)) | 44 (37) | 21 (36) | 13 (43) | 10 (35) |
Preinjury Tegner activity level 8 or 9 (n (%)) | 79 (67) | 39 (66) | 22 (73) | 18 (62) |
Body mass index (mean (SD)) | 24 (3) | 24 (3) | 23 (2) | 24 (3) |
Prognostic factors | ||||
Cartilage defect at baseline (n (%)) | 31 (26) | 18 (31) | 5 (17) | 8 (28) |
Meniscus damage at baseline (n (%)) | 30 (25) | 18 (31) | 5 (17) | 7 (24) |
Osteochondral lesion at baseline (n (%)) | 77 (65) | 40 (68) | 22 (73) | 15 (52) |
Extension deficit at baseline (n (%)) | 67 (57) | 30 (51) | 20 (67) | 17 (59) |
Graft rupture or contralateral ACL rupture (n (%)) | 9 (8) | 7 (12) | 2 (7) | 0 (0) |
Non-ACL surgery occasions (n (%)) | ||||
None | 64 (54) | 37 (63) | 14 (47) | 13 (45) |
One | 38 (32) | 17 (29) | 12 (40) | 9 (31) |
Two or more | 16 (14) | 5 (9) | 4 (13) | 7 (24) |
SF-36 MCS at baseline (mean (SD)) | 67 (19) | 68 (20) | 65 (20) | 66 (17) |
KOOS4 at baseline (mean (SD)) | 37 (14) | 37 (16) | 36 (11) | 38 (13) |
Rehabilitation visits (mean (SD)) | 59 (36) | 65 (36) | 70 (37) | 36 (23) |
Five-year outcomes | ||||
KOOS-pain (mean (SD)) | 91 (12) | 91 (12) | 91 (13) | 92 (12) |
KOOS-symptoms (mean (SD)) | 84 (16) | 82 (17) | 85 (14) | 89 (16) |
KOOS-sport/rec (mean (SD)) | 77 (23) | 76 (23) | 78 (26) | 81 (22) |
KOOS-QOL (mean (SD)) | 70 (22) | 71 (21) | 72 (24) | 66 (23) |
Due to missing values, sample size was reduced for the following: smoking n=107, BMI n=116, SF-36 MCS n=117. Education: university degree versus all lower levels of education. Pre-injury Tegner activity level: levels 8 or 9 (higher-level pivoting, contact sport) as opposed to 5–7 (lower-level recreational sport and activities). Graft rupture or contralateral ACL rupture: 4 were ACL graft ruptures (2 received revision ACL reconstruction) and 5 were contralateral ACL ruptures (all received contralateral ACL reconstruction); non-ACL surgery: total number of knee surgery events not performed in the same surgical session as ACL reconstruction or revision.
ACLR, ACL reconstruction; KOOS4, a mean score from four Knee injury and Osteoarthritis Outcome Score subscales (pain, symptoms, sport/rec and QOL) KOOS and SF-36 scores range from 0 (worst) to 100 (best); MCS, Mental Component Score; QOL, quality of life; sport/rec, sport and recreation function; SF-36, 36-item Short-Form.