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Poor functional performance 1 year after ACL reconstruction increases the risk of early osteoarthritis progression

Brief summary, from the abstract

In this cohort of 78 people one year after ACL reconstruction, those who performed poorly on a battery of hop and one-leg-rise tests had a higher risk of worsening patellofemoral knee changes on MRI over the next four years, though self-reported symptoms and function were largely unaffected.

  • Only 14 of 78 participants (18%) passed all four functional tests at a limb symmetry index of 90% or more, one year after surgery.
  • Poor performance on all four tests was linked to 3.66 times greater risk of worsening patellofemoral bone marrow lesions (95% CI 1.12 to 12.01).
  • A triple-crossover hop below 90% symmetry was linked to 2.09 times greater risk of worsening patellofemoral cartilage (95% CI 1.15 to 3.81).
  • Functional performance was generally not associated with tibiofemoral MRI changes or with KOOS and IKDC self-reported scores; this is a single observational cohort of 78 people, so findings show association, not cause.
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