Is 9 months the sweet spot for male athletes to return to sport after ACL reconstruction?
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Findings from a study conducted at the Aspetar Riadh Assessment and Movement Analysis Lab indicate that returning to sport earlier than 9 months after anterior cruciate ligament reconstruction (ACLR) does not increase the risk of a new injury. The study highlights that how an athlete returns is more critical than when.
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HOW AN ATHLETE RETURNS IS MORE CRITICAL THAN WHEN
ACL re-injury rates dropped by 50%, primarily due to the implementation of mandatory regular testing and structured progress monitoring throughout rehabilitation.

In a cohort of male athletes, rigorous adherence to the rehabilitation protocol significantly improved return-to-sport (RTS) rates, showing a clear dose-response relationship: greater progression in rehabilitation after ACLR led to a significantly higher likelihood of returning to pivoting sports. Athletes who met all discharge criteria were six times more likely to return to pivoting sports compared to those who did not complete the program.
Successful completion of rehabilitation and achievement of objective criteria significantly increased the odds of male athletes returning to pivoting sports. Consistent adherence to a structured rehabilitation protocol, progression based on objective criteria, and meeting discharge criteria were associated with low reinjury rates and a high probability of returning to pivoting sports, irrespective of surgery type or comorbidities. Notably, time to RTS did not appear to impact new knee injury rates, provided athletes met all RTS criteria. These findings emphasize the crucial role of personalized rehabilitation programs in optimizing outcomes for athletes post-ACLR.
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HOW AN ATHLETE RETURNS IS MORE CRITICAL THAN WHEN
9 months is not the sweet spot for safe return to sport after ACLR—returning before this point does not increase the risk of re-injury if the athlete meets the necessary criteria.
• Athletes who met discharge criteria were 6 times more likely to return to pivoting sports compared to those who stopped attending rehabilitation.
• ACL re-injury rates dropped by 50%, primarily due to the implementation of mandatory regular testing and structured progress monitoring throughout rehabilitation.
