Publication:

Patient characteristics and outcomes following ACL reconstruction surgery: a cross-sectional descriptive study

Background Anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) injuries are common among young and active individuals. Patient-reported outcomes are important in evaluating the success of ACL reconstruction surgery.

Methods This cross-sectional descriptive study included 100 patients who underwent ACL reconstruction surgery at a single-center teaching hospital in Jordan between January 2022 and December 2024. Data on patient characteristics, clinical presentation, surgical details and patient-reported outcomes were collected and analyzed using descriptive statistics.

Results The mean age of patients was 27.8±6.4 years, with most patients being male (72%). The majority of injuries were sports-related (65%). The most common presenting symptom was knee instability (78%). Hamstring graft was the most commonly used graft (68%). Most patients reported improvement in pain (76%) and good functional outcomes (70%). Return to previous level of activity was achieved in 62% of patients.

Conclusions ACL reconstruction showed generally good patient-reported outcomes. However, not all patients returned to full sport’s activities. Patient characteristics and associated injuries may affect outcomes. Further studies are recommended to improve understanding of recovery after ACL reconstruction.