Recruitment and baseline characteristics of young adults at risk of early-onset knee osteoarthritis after ACL reconstruction in the SUPER-Knee trial.

Objectives: The study aims to (1) report the process of recruiting young adults into a secondary knee osteoarthritis prevention randomised controlled trial (RCT) after anterior cruciate ligament reconstruction (ACLR); (2) determine the number of individuals needed to be screened to include one participant (NNS) and (3) report baseline characteristics of randomised participants. Methods: The SUpervised exercise-therapy and Patient Education Rehabilitation (SUPER)-Knee RCT compares SUPER and minimal intervention for young adults (aged 18-40 years) with ongoing symptoms (ie, mean score of <80/100 from four Knee injury and Osteoarthritis Outcome Score subscales (KOOS4)) 9-36 months post-ACLR. The NNS was calculated as the number of prospective participants screened to enrol one person. At baseline, participants provided medical history, completed questionnaires (demographic, injury/surgery, rehabilitation characteristics) and underwent physical examination. Results: 1044 individuals were screened to identify 567 eligible people, from which 184 participants (63% male) enrolled. The sample of enrolled participants was multicultural (29% born outside Australia; 2% Indigenous Australians). The NNS was 5.7. For randomised participants, mean±SD age was 30±6 years. The mean body mass index was 27.3±5.2 kg/m2, with overweight (43%) and obesity (21%) common. Participants were, on average, 2.3 years post-ACLR. Over half completed <8 months of postoperative rehabilitation, with 56% having concurrent injury/surgery to meniscus and/or cartilage. The most affected KOOS (0=worst, 100=best) subscale was quality of life (mean 43.7±19.1). Conclusion: Young adults post-ACLR were willing to participate in a secondary osteoarthritis prevention trial. Sample size calculations should be multiplied by at least 5.7 to provide an estimate of the NNS. The SUPER-Knee cohort is ideally positioned to monitor and intervene in the early development and trajectory of osteoarthritis. Trial registration number: ACTRN12620001164987.

Knee Confidence, Fear of Movement, and Psychological Readiness for Sport in Individuals With Knee Conditions: A Systematic Review and Meta-analysis.

OBJECTIVES: To (1) compare activity-related psychological factors between individuals with and without knee conditions, and (2) assess associations between these factors and objective measures of function in individuals with knee conditions. DESIGN: A priori registered systematic review with meta-analysis. LITERATURE SEARCH: MEDLINE-Ovid, Embase-Ovid, Scopus-Elsevier, CINAHL-EBSCO, SPORTDiscus-EBSCO, and Cochrane Library were searched to May 27, 2022. STUDY SELECTION CRITERIA: We included peer-reviewed primary data studies (observational and experimental) of human participants with and without knee conditions reporting knee confidence, fear of movement/avoidance beliefs, and/or psychological readiness to return to sport (RTS) or reporting correlations between these factors and objective measures of function in knee conditions. DATA SYNTHESIS: Where possible, data were pooled by knee conditions, otherwise performed narrative syntheses. The Downs and Black checklist assessed the methodological quality of the included studies. RESULTS: Forty studies (3546 participants with knee conditions; 616 participants without knee conditions) were included. There was very low-certainty evidence of higher fear of movement in individuals with knee osteoarthritis (standardized mean difference [SMD], 0.46; 95% confidence interval [CI]: 0.41, 0.52), but not in individuals with patellofemoral pain (SMD, 0.66; 95% CI: -7.98, 9.29) when compared with those without knee conditions. There was very low-certainty evidence of no differences in psychological readiness to RTS after anterior cruciate ligament reconstruction (SMD, -1.14; 95% CI: -2.97, 0.70) compared to no knee condition, and negligible to weak positive correlations between psychological readiness to RTS and objective measures of function. CONCLUSION: There was very low-certainty evidence of higher fear of movement in individuals with knee osteoarthritis compared to those without, and very low-certainty evidence of no correlations between these factors and objective measures of function following anterior cruciate ligament reconstruction. J Orthop Sports Phys Ther 2024;54(4):1-14. Epub 29 January 2024. doi:10.2519/jospt.2024.12070.

Does the one-leg rise test reflect quadriceps strength in individuals following anterior cruciate ligament reconstruction?

OBJECTIVE: To explore if one-leg rise test performance is associated with quadriceps strength following anterior cruciate ligament reconstruction (ACLR). DESIGN: Cross-sectional. PARTICIPANTS: 100 individuals (50 females, 50 males) aged 18-40 years, 9-36 months post-ACLR with ongoing knee symptoms (KOOS4 <80/100). MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: Number of one-leg rise repetitions (using an adjustable-height plinth) and isometric quadriceps strength using isokinetic dynamometry (60° flexion, normalised to body mass). Multivariable fractional polynomial regression models adjusted for sex explored relationships between one-leg rise performance (repetitions) and quadriceps strength (Nm/kg) for each limb. RESULTS: A non-linear, increasing association between one-leg rise performance and quadriceps strength was observed, with the rate of increase attenuating at higher values of one-leg rise performance. Similar relationships were observed in the ACLR (ß = 0.15, 95%CI 0.10 to 0.20; adjusted r2 = 0.51) and contralateral limb (ß = 0.14, 95%CI 0.08 to 0.19; r2 = 0.42). CONCLUSION: The one-leg rise test can be an indicator of quadriceps strength in individuals after ACLR, enabling clinicians to easily monitor quadriceps strength recovery without specialised equipment. With the relationship between one-leg rise performance and quadriceps strength attenuating with a larger number of one-leg rises achieved, other factors (e.g., motivation, endurance) likely contribute to one-leg rise performance at higher values.

Let's talk about sex (and gender) after ACL injury: a systematic review and meta-analysis of self-reported activity and knee-related outcomes.

OBJECTIVE: Investigate sex/gender differences in self-reported activity and knee-related outcomes after anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) injury. DESIGN: Systematic review with meta-analysis. DATA SOURCES: Seven databases were searched in December 2021. ELIGIBILITY CRITERIA: Observational or interventional studies with self-reported activity (including return to sport) or knee-related outcomes after ACL injury. RESULTS: We included 242 studies (n=123 687, 43% females/women/girls, mean age 26 years at surgery). One hundred and six studies contributed to 1 of 35 meta-analyses (n=59 552). After ACL injury/reconstruction, very low-certainty evidence suggests females/women/girls had inferior self-reported activity (ie, return to sport, Tegner Activity Score, Marx Activity Scale) compared with males/men/boys on most (88%, 7/8) meta-analyses. Females/women/girls had 23%-25% reduced odds of returning to sport within 1-year post-ACL injury/reconstruction (12 studies, OR 0.76 95% CI 0.63 to 0.92), 1-5 years (45 studies, OR 0.75 95% CI 0.69 to 0.82) and 5-10 years (9 studies, OR 0.77 95% CI 0.57 to 1.04). Age-stratified analysis (<19 years) suggests female athletes/girls had 32% reduced odds of returning to sport compared with male athletes/boys (OR 0.68, 95% CI 0.41 to 1.13, I2 0.0%). Very low-certainty evidence suggests females/women/girls experienced inferior knee-related outcomes (eg, function, quality of life) on many (70%, 19/27) meta-analyses: standardised mean difference ranging from -0.02 (Knee injury and Osteoarthritis Outcome Score, KOOS-activities of daily living, 9 studies, 95% CI -0.05 to 0.02) to -0.31 (KOOS-sport and recreation, 7 studies, 95% CI -0.36 to -0.26). CONCLUSIONS: Very low-certainty evidence suggests inferior self-reported activity and knee-related outcomes for females/women/girls compared with males/men/boys after an ACL injury. Future studies should explore factors and design targeted interventions to improve outcomes for females/women/girls. PROSPERO REGISTRATION NUMBER: CRD42021205998.

SUpervised exercise-therapy and Patient Education Rehabilitation (SUPER) versus minimal intervention for young adults at risk of knee osteoarthritis after ACL reconstruction: SUPER-Knee randomised controlled trial protocol.

INTRODUCTION: Anterior cruciate ligament injury and reconstruction (ACLR) is often associated with pain, functional loss, poor quality of life and accelerated knee osteoarthritis development. The effectiveness of interventions to enhance outcomes for those at high risk of early-onset osteoarthritis is unknown. This study will investigate if SUpervised exercise-therapy and Patient Education Rehabilitation (SUPER) is superior to a minimal intervention control for improving pain, function and quality of life in young adults with ongoing symptoms following ACLR. METHODS AND ANALYSIS: The SUPER-Knee Study is a parallel-group, assessor-blinded, randomised controlled trial. Following baseline assessment, 184 participants aged 18-40 years and 9-36 months post-ACLR with ongoing symptoms will be randomly allocated to one of two treatment groups (1:1 ratio). Ongoing symptoms will be defined as a mean score of <80/100 from four Knee injury and Osteoarthritis Outcome Score (KOOS4) subscales covering pain, symptoms, function in sports and recreational activities and knee-related quality of life. Participants randomised to SUPER will receive a 4-month individualised, physiotherapist-supervised strengthening and neuromuscular programme with education. Participants randomised to minimal intervention (ie, control group) will receive a printed best-practice guide for completing neuromuscular and strengthening exercises following ACLR. The primary outcome will be change in the KOOS4 from baseline to 4 months with a secondary endpoint at 12 months. Secondary outcomes include change in individual KOOS subscale scores, patient-perceived improvement, health-related quality of life, kinesiophobia, physical activity, thigh muscle strength, knee function and knee cartilage morphology (ie, lesions, thickness) and composition (T2 mapping) on MRI. Blinded intention-to-treat analyses will be performed. Findings will also inform cost-effectiveness analyses. ETHICS AND DISSEMINATION: This study is approved by the La Trobe University and Alfred Hospital Ethics Committees. Results will be presented in peer-reviewed journals and at international conferences. TRIAL REGISTRATION NUMBER: ACTRN12620001164987.