Returning to sport is traditionally an area that patients poorly understand, as only 24% participate in formal return to sport testing (REFERENCE). This might be because after completing several phases of rehabilitation, athletes and patients feel confident in their knee and ability to return to sport, but then many may feel under confident to returning to sport and never attempt to try. Neither perspective is ideal.
In this area, patients need to have the appropriate muscle strength, control and technique to return to play, but also the confidence in their body and mind to participate without any restrictions. Therefore rehabilitation in this stage should replicate the preferred sport or exercise demands, including unpredictable sports like contact, unanticipated challenging movement demands and other difficult sport demands likely to be experienced.
Figure 2: Dijkstra et al, 2017
It is therefore highly recommended that formal return to sport testing is completed and considered by the surgeon, physiotherapist and the patient. It is a shared decision making process to identify if the individual is appropriately ready to return to sport from both a physical and psychological perspective. It will also show areas that require further rehabilitation and development.
Reference:
Dijkstra, H. P., Pollock, N., Chakraverty, R., & Ardern, C. L. (2017). Return to play in elite sport: a shared decision-making process. British Journal of Sports Medicine, 51,5.