2023 ISAKOS Biennial Congress ePoster
A Comparison of Return to Sport Rates Between Male and Female Athletes After Anterior Cruciate Ligament Reconstruction in an Australian Context
Haydn Klemm, BFSc&Nutr (Hons), Richmond, VIC AUSTRALIA
Kate E. Webster, PhD, Bundoora, Victoria AUSTRALIA
Julian A. Feller, FRACS, FAOrthA, Melbourne, VIC AUSTRALIA
OrthoSport Victoria & La Trobe University, Melbourne, Victoria, AUSTRALIA
FDA Status Not Applicable
Summary
Females return to sport after ACL Reconstruction at a lower rate to males, but age groupings identified that the difference was predominately in females in their twenties, although in those that did return to sport there was no difference between males and females in the level they return. Females in metropolitan areas had a lower rate of return than metropolitan males and females in rural areas.
ePosters will be available shortly before Congress
Abstract
Background
Return to sport is a goal for most patients who undergo anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) reconstruction. Although it has been reported that female patients return at a significantly lower rate compared to males, the demographic and contextual factors that may be associated with this have not been investigated.
Purpose
To compare return to sport rates between men and women and investigate factors that may be associated with different rates of return in an Australian context.
Study Design: Cohort study
Methods
A total of 1338 patients who underwent primary ACL reconstruction between January 2014 and December 2017 were invited to complete detailed sports participation questionnaire 2 to 7 years after surgery. Rates of return to sport were calculated and compared for men and women. Patients were then divided according to age and geographical location and further sex comparisons in return to play rates between these groupings were made. Descriptive statistics were used to summarise return to sport data and contingency analysis to compare factors associated with rates of return to sport.
Results
The follow up rate was 81% (1080/1338). Overall, females had a significantly lower rate of return to sport compared to males (65.4% v 74.9%, p=0.001). However, when patients were grouped by age at surgery(<20, 20-29, 30-39 & 40+), a significantly lower rate of return for females was only found in the 20-29 age group (p=0.010).
For those that returned to sport, there was no difference between males and females when comparing the level of sport to which they returned. When grouping patients based on geographical location (metropolitan vs rural) there was a significantly lower rate of return to sport in metropolitan females compared to metropolitan males (p<0.001), and rural females (p=0.042).
Conclusion
Although females returned at a lower rate to males overall, this difference was predominantly seen in the 20-29 age bracket. For patients that did return to sport, there was no sex difference related to the level at which they returned. Metropolitan females have a lower rate of return to sport in comparison to rural females and metropolitan males.