The Effectiveness of Psychological Interventions for Patients Undergoing Anterior Cruciate Ligament Reconstruction: A Meta-Analysis and Systematic Review.

Study Summary

11 randomized controlled trials including 440 patients undergoing anterior cruciate ligament reconstruction (ACLR) were included in this systematic review and meta-analysis comparing psychological interventions vs usual care or non-psychological comparators. Pooled outcomes of interest included pain, kinesiophobia, knee self-efficacy, psychological readiness to return to sport, patient-reported knee function, knee strength, 36-item short-form health survey (SF-36) quality-of-life domains, and crutch-use days. Psychological interventions significantly improved pain, kinesiophobia, knee self-efficacy, International Knee Documentation Committee scores (IKDC), SF-36 physical role function, and reduced crutch-use days, while no significant effects were found for ACL–Return to Sport after Injury, knee strength, or SF-36 mental well-being. Overall, these findings suggest that psychological interventions, particularly imagery-based approaches for pain, may be useful treatments to physical rehabilitation after ACLR.