A Comparative Study of Reconstruction Surgery and Physiotherapy in Anterior Cruciate Ligament Tears

The anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) is one of the crucial ligaments in the knee that often gets injured during intense activities. This injury, sometimes resulting in a tear, is more common among professional athletes. The aim of this study is to compare reconstruction surgery and physiotherapy treatments in an educational hospital.

In a cross-sectional study, 63 individuals aged between 19 and 38 with ACL injuries, categorized into four occupational groups (soldiers, military personnel, athletes, and freelancers), were examined. Thirty-two individuals underwent reconstruction surgery, while 31 underwent physiotherapy. Patients were followed up for one to six months. The International Knee Documentation Committee (IKDC) questionnaire was completed for them, and the collected data were entered into SPSS for analysis using two-way ANOVA and Bonferroni post hoc test.

The results showed that both the type of treatment and occupation had an impact. Surgical reconstruction scored significantly higher than physiotherapy (surgery group: 69.7 ± 0.7, physiotherapy group: 66.3 ± 1.0). Among occupations, soldiers scored significantly lower than the other groups, with no significant difference observed among freelancers, military personnel, and athletes.

The findings indicate that both the chosen treatment method and the patient's occupation are effective in follow-up. Excluding pain criteria, surgical reconstruction was markedly superior to physiotherapy, as patients exhibited higher sports and functional performance despite experiencing more pain, resulting in higher scores.