Functional outcome from anterior cruciate ligament surgery: A review

Abstract

Introduction Positive outcomes from anterior cruciate ligament reconstruction (ACLR) surgery are frequently reported within the published literature. These papers often measure the patients' outcome against a baseline of their pre-operative post-injury status, often reporting considerable improvements. This review attempts to examine the outcome of patients, who have undergone ACLR, from a different perspective, by comparing their outcome to population norms across a variety of tests. Conclusion Undertaking a comparison in this manner shows that the majority of ACLR patients do not make a full functional recovery when comparing their performance to that of their uninjured peers. It would appear that ACLR surgery provides positive benefits for the patient, but the challenge still remains for clinicians to return these patients to a full functional status.