Purpose: To investigate the rate and timing for return to football league games after anterior cruciate ligament reconstruction (ACLR) in Swedish players, examining associations with sex, age, level, graft and additional ACL surgery. Method: Data from the Swedish National Knee Registry (SNKLR) and the Swedish Football Association's IT System (FOGIS) were used. The study cohort comprised 971 football players, 64% males, who underwent primary ACLR. Demographics, graft type and surgical information were extracted from the SNKLR and game participation from FOGIS. Follow-up for return to competition (RTC) was conducted for 36 months, while additional ACLR follow-up was 3-7 years. Statistical analyses, including Kaplan-Meier survival curves and relative risk calculations, were employed to assess factors influencing RTC rates and timing. Results: Out of 971 players analyzed, 53% RTC within 3 years with no difference between males and females, at a mean of 15 months (median 14 months) from surgery to the first game. Eleven (2%) players RTC < 6 months from ACLR, 62 (12%) 6-9 months, 125 (24%) 9-12 months and 331 (63%) >12 months. Patellar tendon (PT) grafts demonstrated superior performance, showing quicker returns and higher RTC rates (p = 0.005) compared to hamstring (hazard ratio [HR]: 0.63 [0.48-0.84]) and quadriceps tendon grafts (HR: 0.53 [0.30-0.93]). Players competing in higher divisions pre-injury experienced significantly swifter and higher RTC rates (p < 0.001). Ninety-five (10%) had a registered additional ACLR. Players who RTC did not exhibit a significantly higher rate of revision (35 [7%] vs. 25 [5%]). However, those who returned faced a heightened risk of contralateral ACLRs compared to those who did not RTC (32 [6%] vs. 4 [1%] RR 1.72 [1.59-1.96], p < 0.001). Conclusion: The study reveals that 53% of football players RTC after ACLR, predominantly after more than 12 months. The RTC was higher and faster in high-level players and those receiving a PT graft. The slow RTC may contribute to the relatively low rate of additional ACLRs. Level of EvidenceLevel III.

Objectives To evaluate the type and prevalence of associated injuries by using magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) in patients with anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) tears.Methods Data from the Natural Corollaries and Recovery after ACL injury multicenter longitudinal cohort study were analyzed. Between May 2016 and October 2018, patients aged between 15 and 40 years, who had experienced an ACL tear within the last 6 weeks and sought medical attention at one of seven healthcare clinics in Sweden, were invited to participate. The mean time from injury to MRI was 19.6 +/- 15.2 days. An orthopedic knee surgeon and a musculoskeletal radiologist reviewed all the MRI scans. The following structures were assessed: posterior cruciate ligament (PCL), medial collateral ligament (MCL) complex, lateral collateral ligament (LCL), popliteus tendon, medial meniscus (MM), lateral meniscus (LM), and cartilage. In addition, the presence of bone bruising, impaction fractures in the lateral femoral condyle (LFC) or posterolateral tibia (PLT), and Segond fractures were also assessed. Results A total of 254 patients (48.4% males) with a mean age of 25.4 +/- 7.1 years were included. The prevalence of associated injuries was as follows: PCL (0.4%), MCL {41.3% [superficial MCL and deep MCL (dMCL) 16.5%; isolated dMCL 24.8%]}, LCL (2.4%), MM (57.4%), LM (25.2%), cartilage (15.0%), bone bruising (92.9%), impaction fracture in the LFC (45.7%) and PLT (4.7%), and Segond fracture (7.5%).Conclusions The prevalence of associated injuries in patients with ACL tears was high. The findings reported in this study may serve as a reference tool for orthopedic surgeons and radiologists in the diagnosis of associated injuries using MRI in patients with ACL tears.

Background Expressing a desire for surgery before participating in first-line osteoarthritis (OA) interventions (patient education and exercise therapy) has been shown to contribute to poorer outcomes from the interventions, but we lack knowledge on how these patients reflect on health care and self-management of OA.Objectives To explore and describe patients perspectives of health care and self-management of OA among those expressing a desire for surgery before participating in first-line OA interventions.Methods Sixteen patients with hip or knee OA referred to participate in a standardized first-line OA intervention program in primary health care in Sweden were included in the study. We used individual semi-structured interviews to collect data, which were analyzed using inductive qualitative content analysis.Results One theme of meaning "A multifaceted picture of needs, expectations, and individual choices" and five categories were identified as perspectives from the participants regarding health care and self-management of OA: 1) lacking control and needing support; 2) standing alone in an unsupportive environment; 3) going with the flow; 4) having expectations; and 5) taking ownership.Conclusion Patients who express a desire for surgery before participating in first-line interventions for OA are not a homogeneous group. They describe a broad range of perspectives on how they reason and reflect on health care and self-management of OA based on their own needs, expectations, and choices. Findings from this study strengthen insights on the importance of exploring the patients perspectives and individualizing OA interventions to achieve the lifestyle changes that first-line interventions strive to accomplish.

Background: The limited research on prognosis after nonsurgical management of anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) injury has focused on physical factors. We aimed to assess relationships between key patient-reported outcomes, in line with a biopsychosocial approach, and returning to preinjury sport at 12 months after ACL injury treated without reconstruction. Hypothesis: We hypothesized that biopsychosocial factors would be associated with returning to preinjury sport at 12 months after ACL injury. Study Design: Prospective single cohort study. Level of Evidence: Level 2. Methods: Patients who had an ACL injury and did not have reconstruction during the first year after injury were recruited from healthcare clinics in Sweden, and followed up at 3, 6, and 12 months after injury. Return to preinjury sport at 12 months was the primary outcome. Explanatory variables were psychological readiness to return to sport, knee-related quality of life, and self-reported knee function. Using generalized estimating equations, we evaluated the relationships between the explanatory variables and the primary outcome at each timepoint. Results: Data were analyzed for 88 participants with a median age of 27 years (15-40 years). Soccer was the most frequently reported preinjury sport (n = 22). Forty participants (46%) had returned to their preinjury sport at 12 months after ACL injury. The odds of returning to preinjury sport at 12 months increased with higher self-reported knee function at 6 months (odds ratio [OR], 1.1; 95% CI, 1.0-1.1), and the odds of being returned to the preinjury sport at 12 months doubled for every 1-point increase (1-10 scale) in psychological readiness to return to sport measured at 12 months (OR, 1.9; 95% CI, 1.2-3.2). Conclusion: Superior self-reported knee function at 6 months and greater psychological readiness to return to sport at 12 months were associated with returning to the preinjury sport 1 year after ACL injury treated without reconstruction.

BACKGROUND: Some patients report long-term pain or no improvement in health-related quality of life (HRQoL) or are dissatisfied after THA. However, factors associated with these poorer patient-reported outcomes after surgery are inconsistent and have typically been studied in the late phase of hip osteoarthritis (OA) among patients already eligible for surgery. Earlier identification of risk factors would provide time to address modifiable factors, helping to improve patients' pain, HRQoL, and satisfaction after surgery and reduce the burden on orthopaedic clinics by referring patients who are better prepared for surgery.

QUESTIONS/PURPOSES: We analyzed data from patients with hip OA referred to a first-line OA intervention program in primary healthcare at a stage when they had not been referred for THA, and asked: (1) What percentage of patients who proceed to THA report lack of improvement in pain, lack of improvement in HRQoL as measured by the EQ-5D, or are not satisfied with surgery 1 year after THA? (2) What associations exist between baseline factors at referral to this first-line OA intervention program and these poorer patient-reported outcomes 1 year after THA?

METHODS: We included 3411 patients with hip OA (mean age 67 ± 9 years, 63% [2160 of 3411] women) who had been referred for first-line OA interventions between 2008 and 2015 and subsequently underwent THA for OA. All patients were initially identified through the Swedish Osteoarthritis Register, which follows and evaluates patients in a standardized national first-line OA intervention program. Then, we identified those who were also registered in the Swedish Arthroplasty Register with a THA during the study period. We included only those with complete patient-reported outcome measures for pain, HRQoL, and satisfaction preoperatively and 1-year postoperatively, representing 78% (3411 of 4368) of patients, who had the same baseline characteristics as nonrespondents. Multiple logistic regression was used to assess the associations between 14 baseline factors and the aforementioned patient-reported outcomes of pain, HRQoL, and satisfaction 1 year after THA, adjusted for all included factors.

RESULTS: Five percent (156 of 3411) of the study population lacked improvement in pain, 11% (385 of 3411) reported no improvement in HRQoL, and 10% (339 of 3411) reported they were not satisfied with surgery 1 year after THA. Charnley Class C (multiple-joint OA or another condition that affects the ability to walk) was associated with all outcomes: lack of improvement in pain (OR 1.84 [95% CI 1.24 to 2.71]; p = 0.002), lack of improvement in HRQoL (OR 1.83 [95% CI 1.42 to 2.36]; p < 0.001), and not being satisfied (OR 1.40 [95% CI 1.07 to 1.82]; p = 0.01). Older age was associated with a lack of improvement in pain (OR per year 1.03 [95% CI 1.01 to 1.05]; p = 0.02), lack of improvement in HRQoL (OR per year 1.04 [95% CI 1.03 to 1.06]; p < 0.001), and not being satisfied (OR per year 1.03 [95% CI 1.01 to 1.05]; p < 0.001). Depression was associated with a lack of improvement in pain (OR 1.54 [95% CI 1.00 to 2.35]; p = 0.050) and with not being satisfied (OR 1.50 [95% CI 1.11 to 2.04]; p = 0.01) but not with a lack of improvement in HRQoL (OR 1.04 [95% CI 0.76 to 1.43]; p = 0.79). Having four or more comorbidities was associated with a lack of improvement in HRQoL (OR 2.08 [95% CI 1.39 to 3.10]; p < 0.001) but not with a lack of improvement in pain and not being satisfied.

CONCLUSION: The results of this study showed that older age, Charley Class C, and depression in patients with first-line OA interventions were risk factors associated with poorer outcomes regarding pain, HRQoL, and satisfaction after THA. Screening patients with hip OA for depression early in the disease course would provide increased time to optimize treatments and may contribute to better patient-reported pain, HRQoL, and satisfaction after future THA. Further research should focus on identifying the optimal time for surgery in patients with depression, as well as what targeted interventions for depression can improve outcome of surgery in these patients.

LEVEL OF EVIDENCE: Level III, therapeutic study.

OBJECTIVES: Analyse changes in knee laxity between 3, 6, 12 and 24 months after non-surgically treated ACL injury and to analyse associations between knee laxity and knee function, self-reported knee stability, ACL-Return to Sport after Injury (ACL-RSI), fear and confidence at different timepoints during recovery.

DESIGN: Prospective cohort study.

PARTICIPANTS: 125 patients (67 males, mean age 25.0 ± 7.0 years) with acute ACL injury.

MAIN OUTCOME: Laxity was measured using KT-1000 arthrometer. Self-reported knee function was assessed using the International Knee Documentation Committee Subjective Knee Form (IKDC-SKF). Confidence and fear were assessed with questions from the ACL-RSI scale. Subjectively knee stability was assessed using SANE.

RESULTS: Knee laxity increased bilaterally from 3 to 12 months, and in the non-involved knee from 3 to 24 months (p˂0.05), although mean change was below 1 mm. Side-to-side difference in knee laxity was correlated with IKDC-SKF (r = -0.283) and knee stability in rehabilitation/sport activities (r = -0.315) at 6 months, but not with confidence/fear.

CONCLUSION: Knee laxity increased bilaterally during the first year after non-surgically treated ACL injury, though, the mean change in knee laxity was below 1 mm and the clinical significance is unknown. Knee laxity was weakly associated with knee function and perceived knee stability.

LEVEL OF EVIDENCE: Level II TRIAL REGISTRATION: NCT02931084.

Background To improve the understanding of the psychological impacts of anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) injury, a systematic review synthesizing the evidence on knee self-efficacy, fear avoidance beliefs and kinesiophobia following ACL injury is needed. Objective The aim of this systematic review was to investigate knee self-efficacy, fear avoidance beliefs and kinesiophobia following ACL injury, and compare these outcomes following management with rehabilitation alone, early and delayed ACL reconstruction (ACLR). Methods Seven databases were searched from inception to April 14, 2022. Articles were included if they assessed Tampa Scale of Kinesiophobia (TSK), Knee Self-Efficacy Scale (KSES), or Fear Avoidance Beliefs Questionnaire (FABQ). Risk of bias (RoB) was assessed using domain-based RoB tools (ROBINS-1, RoB 2, RoBANS), and GRADE-assessed certainty of evidence. Random-effects meta-analyses pooled outcomes, stratified by time post-injury (pre-operative, 3-6 months, 7-12 months, &gt; 1-2 years, &gt; 2-5 years, &gt; 5 years). Results Seventy-three studies (70% high RoB) were included (study outcomes: TSK: 55; KSES: 22; FABQ: 5). Meta-analysis demonstrated worse kinesiophobia and self-efficacy pre-operatively (pooled mean [95% CI], TSK-11: 23.8 [22.2-25.3]; KSES: 5.0 [4.4-5.5]) compared with 3-6 months following ACLR (TSK-11: 19.6 [18.7-20.6]; KSES: 19.6 [18.6-20.6]). Meta-analysis suggests similar kinesiophobia &gt; 3-6 months following early ACLR (19.8 [4.9]) versus delayed ACLR (17.2 [5.0]). Only one study assessed outcomes comparing ACLR with rehabilitation only. Conclusions Knee self-efficacy and kinesiophobia improved from pre-ACLR to 3-6 months following ACLR, with similar outcomes after 6 months. Since the overall evidence was weak, there is a need for high-quality observational and intervention studies focusing on psychological outcomes following ACL injury.

AIMS: The aim of this study was to estimate time to arthroplasty among patients with hip and knee osteoarthritis (OA), and to identify factors at enrolment to first-line intervention that are prognostic for progression to surgery.

METHODS: In this longitudinal register-based observational study, we identified 72,069 patients with hip and knee OA in the Better Management of Patients with Osteoarthritis Register (BOA), who were referred for first-line OA intervention, between May 2008 and December 2016. Patients were followed until the first primary arthroplasty surgery before 31 December 2016, stratified into a hip and a knee OA cohort. Data were analyzed with Kaplan-Meier and multivariable-adjusted Cox regression.

RESULTS: At five years, Kaplan-Meier estimates showed that 46% (95% confidence interval (CI) 44.6 to 46.9) of those with hip OA, and 20% (95% CI 19.7 to 21.0) of those with knee OA, had progressed to arthroplasty. The strongest prognostic factors were desire for surgery (hazard ratio (HR) hip 3.12 (95% CI 2.95 to 3.31), HR knee 2.72 (95% CI 2.55 to 2.90)), walking difficulties (HR hip 2.20 (95% CI 1.97 to 2.46), HR knee 1.95 (95% CI 1.73 to 2.20)), and frequent pain (HR hip 1.56 (95% CI 1.40 to 1.73), HR knee 1.77 (95% CI 1.58 to 2.00)). In hip OA, the probability of progression to surgery was lower among those with comorbidities (e.g. ≥ four conditions; HR 0.64 (95% CI 0.59 to 0.69)), with no detectable effects in the knee OA cohort. Instead, being overweight or obese increased the probability of OA progress in the knee cohort (HR 1.25 (95% CI 1.15 to 1.37)), but not among those with hip OA.

CONCLUSION: Patients with hip OA progressed faster and to a greater extent to arthroplasty than patients with knee OA. Progression was strongly influenced by patients' desire for surgery and by factors related to severity of OA symptoms, but factors not directly related to OA symptoms are also of importance. However, a large proportion of patients with OA do not seem to require surgery within five years, especially among those with knee OA. Cite this article: Bone Joint J 2022;104-B(7):792-800.

Objectives

To describe the prevalence of comorbidities in a population referred to standardised first-line intervention (patient education and exercise) for hip and knee osteoarthritis (OA), in comparison with the general population. Furthermore, we aimed to evaluate if eventual differences were associated with socioeconomic inequalities.

Design

Register-based study.

Setting

Primary healthcare, Sweden.

Participants

Individuals with hip and/or knee OA included in the Better Management for Patients with Osteoarthritis Register between 2008 and 2016 and and an age-matched, sex-matched and residence-matched reference cohort (1:3) from the general Swedish population.

Outcome measures

Comorbidities were identified with the RxRisk Index, the Elixhauser Comorbidity Index and the Charlson Comorbidity Index, and presented with descriptive statistics as (1) individual diseases, (2) disease categories and (3) scores for each index. The prevalence of comorbidities in the two populations was tested using logistic regression, with separate analyses for age groups and the most affected joint. We then adjusted the analyses for socioeconomic status.

Results

In this OA population, 85% had >= 1 comorbidity compared with 78% of the reference cohort (OR; 1.62 (95% CI 1.59 to 1.66)). Cardiovascular/blood diseases were the most common comorbidities in both populations (OA, 59%; reference, 54%), with OR; 1.22 (95% CI 1.20 to 1.24) for the OA population. Younger individuals with OA were more comorbid than their matched references overall, and population differences decreased with age (eg, >= 3 comorbidities, aged <= 45 years OR; 1.74 (95% CI 1.52 to 1.98), >= 81 years OR; 0.95 (95% CI 0.87 to 1.04)). Individuals with knee OA were more comorbid than those with hip OA overall. Adjustment for socioeconomic status did not change the estimates.

Conclusion

Comorbidities were more common among individuals with hip and knee OA than among matched references from the general population. The differences could not be explained by socioeconomic status.

Study Design: Qualitative descriptive. Introduction: Dupuytren's disease (DD) is a chronic hand condition causing impairment in hand function. Research describing persons' experiences of living with DD is limited. Understanding the subjective experience of illness is valuable for planning and implementing health-care services. Purpose of the Study: To explore experiences among men living with an impaired hand function due to DD and the consequences of the disease for daily activities. Methods: Interviews were conducted with 21 men before surgery. The model of the patient evaluation process guided data collection. Data were analyzed using problem-driven content analysis. Results: Participants described DD as a chronic disease caused by heredity, previous injury, hard work, or aging. DD was, according to the participants, an uncomfortable and sometimes painful condition, causing a feeling of constant stiffness in the affected hand. DD could cause participants to have fear of hurting the hand, feelings of shame or embarrassment, and a sense of being old. Participants handled the deteriorating hand function by avoiding or refraining from activities, adapting their performance, or performing activities with less quality. The ideal hand function was seen as being able to use the hands without effort. Discussion: The diverse experiences of DD and if the hand is experienced as something that causes distress can be understood further using body-self dialectic and Gadow's states of embodiment, as well as the process of adapting and learning to live with the functional limitations. Conclusions: A clinical implication for hand therapy is to acknowledge patients' individual experiences and support self-modifications and development of new skills.