What question did this study set out to answer?

Assess preoperative anxiety and information needs in ACLR patients and identify patient profiles.

July 10, 2026

Preoperative anxiety and need for information prior to anterior cruciate ligament surgery: epidemiological study with clustering analysis.

TNTibaut NoaillesPolyclinique Bordeaux Nord Aquitaine VFVincent FontanierInstitut des Maladies Génétiques Imagine DLDavid LaplaudÉcole Centrale de Nantes

Key Points

Assess preoperative anxiety and information needs in ACLR patients and identify patient profiles.
Conducted a single center cross sectional study among adults scheduled for outpatient ACLR.
Utilized the Amsterdam Preoperative Anxiety and Information Scale (APAIS) to measure anxiety levels and information needs.
Implemented exploratory k prototypes clustering analysis to categorize patient profiles based on anxiety and information satisfaction.
Of 381 eligible patients, 319 completed the APAIS survey.
16.3% of patients experienced clinically relevant preoperative anxiety, more common in women.
Clustering analysis identified three patient profiles based on anxiety levels and information needs.

Abstract

INTRODUCTION Preoperative anxiety can negatively influence postoperative recovery in orthopedic surgery and may be modulated by patients’ need for information. Despite the recognized role of psychosocial factors in anterior cruciate ligament reconstruction (ACLR), preoperative anxiety has been insufficiently described in this population. This study aimed to assess preoperative anxiety and information needs in ACLR patients, and to identify patient profiles using an unsupervised clustering approach. METHODS A single center cross sectional study was conducted in adults scheduled for outpatient ACLR between February 2022 and March 2023. Patients completed the French version of the Amsterdam Preoperative Anxiety and Information Scale (APAIS) after the anesthesia consultation. Descriptive analyses and between group comparisons were performed. An exploratory k prototypes clustering analysis was used to identify patient profiles based on demographic variables, APAIS scores, and satisfaction with preoperative information. RESULTS Of the 381 eligible patients, 319 completed the APAIS (46.7% women; mean age 31.2 ± 10.9 years). Clinically relevant preoperative anxiety (score >11) was present in 16.3% of participants and was significantly more frequent in women. Information needs were low in 50.8%, moderate in 35.4%, and high in 13.8%. Clustering analysis revealed three profiles: (1) predominantly female, anxious patients with high anxiety scores; (2) patients with low anxiety and minimal information needs; and (3) patients with moderate anxiety but high information needs, who reported the greatest benefit from the surgeon’s preoperative consultation. CONCLUSION Preoperative anxiety and information needs were low and sex-related in patients undergoing ACL reconstruction. Distinct patient profiles highlighted the value of preoperative anxiety assessment. Systematic preoperative anxiety assessment could allow to enhance preoperative communication and optimize care management in ACLR patients. KEYWORDS : ACL Reconstruction, Preoperative anxiety, Need for information, Clustering analysis

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