Return to Soccer After Anterior Cruciate Ligament Reconstruction: An Outcome or a Decision?

Background: The return-to-sports rate is often used as an outcome measure after anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) reconstruction (ACLR). Although most soccer players want to return to sports after their ACL injury, up to 40% do not believe they will return to soccer after their ACL injury. Purpose: To investigate whether self-reported presurgical beliefs regarding return to soccer correspond to registered official match participation after ACLR. Study Design: Cohort study; Level of evidence, 2. Methods: Included were soccer players with a primary unilateral ACL injury who were ≥15 years at the time of ACLR and who had completed a presurgical question about their future sports participation beliefs. ACLR surgical data were extracted from the Swedish National Knee Ligament Registry, and game participation data were extracted from the Swedish Football Association's administrative data system. Overall, 67% of players followed their presurgical intention to return to soccer. Conclusion: The findings indicated that presurgical beliefs, age, and level of play helped to predict the actual RTP of soccer players after ACLR.