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BACKGROUND: Rupture of the anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) is a common and feared injury among athletes because of its potential effect on further sports participation. Reported rates of return to pivoting sports after ACL reconstruction (ACLR) vary in the literature, and the long-term consequences of returning have rarely been studied. PURPOSE: To examine the rate and level of return to pivoting sports after ACLR, the duration of sports participation, and long-term consequences of returning to pivoting sports. STUDY DESIGN: Cohort study; Level of evidence, 2. METHODS: All primary ACLRs with a bone-patellar tendon-bone autograft between 1987 and 1994 (N = 234) in athletes participating in team handball, basketball, or soccer before injury were selected from a single-center quality database. A long-term evaluation (median, 25 years; range, 22-30 years) was performed using a questionnaire focusing on return to pivoting sports, the duration of sports activity after surgery, later contralateral ACL injuries, revision surgery, and knee replacement surgery. Participants were stratified into 2 groups depending on the time between injury and surgery (early, <24 months; late, ≥24 months). RESULTS: = .049) when compared with having an early ACLR. CONCLUSION: ACLR does not necessarily enable a return to preinjury sports participation. By returning to pivoting sports after ACLR, athletes are also facing a high risk of contralateral ACL injuries. Long-term evaluations in risk assessments after ACLR are important, as a significant number of subsequent ACL injuries occur later than the routine follow-up.
Lindanger et al. (Mon,) studied this question.