AN 8-WEEK PROSPECTIVE ANALYSIS OF CHANGES IN PAIN, DISABILITY AND PSYCHOSOCIAL FACTORS FOLLOWING ACL RECONSTRUCTION.

Abstract

The purpose of this study was two-fold:

1. to examine perioperative prospective changes in pain, disability and psychosocial variables in ACL reconstructed recreational athletes over the pre-op to eight week post-op period.

2. to see what variables will predict greatest disability at eight weeks post-op.

All participants were recreational athletes at the time of their injuries who had patella-autograft procedure at the the Queen Elizabeth II Health Sciences Centre. Fifty-four patients (twenty-nine males; mean age = 25.4 years, SD = 8.08). Mean education was fourteen years (SD = 2.08), 32%(17) were married, 67%(36) single, and 1% was divorced. 94%(51) of the sample was Caucasian, 3%(2) Black, and 1% Asian. One quarter reported their ACL injury was due to sport-based contact, with non-contact sporting activity reported at 76%(41). All participants completed measures of pain, depression, pain catastrophizing, state anxiety pre-op, on days one and two following surgery and again at eight weeks post-op. Disability was assessed pre-op and eight weeks post-op.

Pain was varied across comparisons with preoperative pain increased twenty-four and forty-eight-hour post-op. Pain at forty-eight-hours postoperative was significantly higher than pain reported at eight-weeks post-op. Catastrophizing did not differ from the pre-op to twenty-four-hour post-op but did drop from twenty-four to forty-eight-hours and forty-eight-hours to eight-weeks post-op. Pre-op depression increased twenty-four-hour post-op, but not from twenty-four to forty-eight-hours and declined at eight-weeks. Anxiety increase pre-op to twenty-four-hours but not from twenty-four to forty-eight-hours but did drop from forty-eight-hours to eight-weeks.Disability did not change over time. Regression showed age or gender did not predict disability but forty-eight hour pain and catastrophizing did.

These data indicate that pain and psychological variables change over time of ACL recovery. Results suggest that pain and distress peek during acute post-op period. As well, post-op catastrophizing predicts disability at eight weeks post-op which may indicate that catastrophizing may be related to behaviours related to slower recovery following ACL reconstructive surgery.