The outcome from anterior cruciate ligament reconstruction in an adult male population from United Arab of Emirates

In sports physiotherapy, outcome measurements are used to identify the athlete’s ability to tolerate the physical demands inherent in sports specific movement and prevent re-injury or identify readiness to return to competition. There are limited studies utilising multiple tests for the anterior cruciate ligament deficient knee (ACLD) and anterior cruciate ligament reconstruction (ACLR) at three and six months postoperatively especially on an adult male population from the United Arab of Emirates (UAE). Further, there were no studies that examined the relative and absolute reliability for these outcome measures in ACLR patients at three and six months post-operation. The outcome measures utilised in the current study for the ACLD and ACLR at three and six months postoperatively include two subjective questionnaires (KOOS and TSK), Y balance test, 2-dimensional frontal plane projection angle (FPPA) during a single leg squat (SLS) and single leg hop for distance (SLHD), Qualitative analysis of single leg squat (QASLS) during SLS and SLHD and isokinetic knee strength test, these were chosen to provide a wide variety of measurement domains in order to understand the patients performance. Though these outcome measures were reported on for the ACLR patients, the main aim of the current study was to establish relative and absolute reliability following ACLR at three and six months postoperatively. The similar consistency of performance (high ICCs and low SEM values) was achieved during YBT and 2D FPPA during SLHD and SLS in the ACLR patients at three and six months postoperatively. Whereas, the poorer consistency of performance was seen in the isokinetic knee strength test, QASLS during SLSH, KOOS and TSK for the ACLR patients at three months in terms of the ICCs and SEM values compared to six months. The consistency of performance of the isokinetic knee strength, QASLS during SLHD, and TSK improved from three to six months in the ACLR patients. Clinicians need to be aware of the inconsistencies of performance in ACLR patients at three and six months when making decisions regarding progression and RTS, as this could affect the ability of these measures to sensitively assess real change