Background: After the increasingly common anterior cruciate ligament reconstruction
(ACLR) procedure in competitive athletes, rehabilitation is crucial for facilitating
a timely return to sports (RTS) and preventing re-injury. This pilot study investigates
the patient-reported outcomes of postoperative rehabilitation in competitive athletes,
comparing supervised rehabilitation (SVR) and home-based rehabilitation (HBR). Methods:
After ACLR, 60 (out of 74 screened) athletes were recruited and equally divided into
HBR and SVR groups using non-probability convenience sampling, with each group comprising
15 males and 15 females. The rehabilitation outcomes in the respective groups were
evaluated at 8 months using measures (Tegner Activity Scale [TAS], International Knee
Documentation Committee subjective knee form [IKDC-SKF], ACL Return to Sport after
Injury [ACL-RSI]) and objective parameters (isometric muscle strength, hamstring/quadricep
asymmetry). RTS was evaluated at 9 months, with ACL re-injury rates recorded approximately
6 months post-RTS. Results: Both groups exhibited decreased TAS scores (HBR: 8 to
6, SVR: 8 to 7), with the SVR group demonstrating superior postoperative IKDC-SKF
scores (81.82 vs. 68.43) and lower ACL-RSI scores (49.46 vs. 55.25). Isometric and
isokinetic muscle strength, along with asymmetry values, was higher in the SVR group
8 months post-ACLR (p < 0.05). The SVR group showed a higher RTS rate to the same
level (76.6% vs. 53.3%), while the re-injury rate was the same in both the rehabilitation
groups (3.3%). Conclusions: Although both rehabilitation approaches yielded comparable
outcomes, SVR may demonstrate some superior biomechanical improvements in athletes,
resulting in a higher RTS rate. However, the psychological outcomes and re-injury
rates did not significantly differ between the groups, emphasizing the need to address
individual psychological needs during rehabilitation. Further investigation is recommended
with a larger sample size to address the differences of gender among competitive athletes.
