Athletes and Nonathletes Show No Difference in Symptoms or Function Prior to Knee Surgery, but Those With Chronic Symptoms Show Increased Pain Catastrophizing and Kinesiophobia

Increased kinesiophobia leads to lower return to sport rate and clinical outcomes following osteochondral allograft transplantation of the knee

PURPOSE

The purpose of this study is to describe the postoperative psychological state of patients following osteochondral allograft (OCA) transplantation in the knee and to determine whether patient-perceived kinesiophobia is associated with the rate of return to sport (RTS).

METHODS

A retrospective review of the electronic medical record at a single institution was conducted for all patients that underwent OCA transplantation from January 2010 to 2020. Patient-reported outcomes including the visual analog scale (VAS), knee injury and osteoarthritis outcome score (KOOS) and the Tampa scale of kinesiophobia-11 (TSK-11) were collected. Patients were surveyed regarding their postoperative RTS status.

RESULTS

A total of 38 patients (52.6% female) were included in our analysis. Overall, 24 patients (63.2%) returned to sport with 12 (50%) of these patients returning at a lower level of play. When comparing patients that return to sport to those that did not, patients that return had significantly superior KOOS pain (p = 0.019) and KOOS QOL (p = 0.011). Measures of kinesiophobia (TSK-11) were significantly higher among patients that did not return to sport (p = 0.014), while satisfaction (n.s.) and pain intensity (n.s.) were comparable between groups. Logistic regression models controlling for demographic factors, VAS pain scores and lesion size showed that for every one-point increase in TSK-11 kinesiophobia score, patients were 1.33 times more likely to return to sport at a lower level (p = 0.009). For every one-point increase in TSK-11 scores KOOS QOL decreased by 2.4 points (p < 0.001).

CONCLUSION

Fear of reinjury decreases the likelihood that patients will return to their preoperative level of sport after OCA transplantation. Patients that do not return to sport report significantly greater fear of reinjury and inferior clinical outcomes, despite similar levels of satisfaction and pain compared to those that return.

LEVEL OF EVIDENCE

Level III.

Psychological Readiness to Return to Sport: Fear of Reinjury Is the Leading Reason for Failure to Return to Competitive Sport and Is Modifiable

Many of our patients are athletes, and an ultimate goal is to help these athletes return to their preinjury level of activity or sport. Generally, we focus on patients' injuries and treatments, but there are modifiable factors that can improve patient outcomes independent of surgical technique. A factor frequently ignored is psychological readiness to return to sport. In patients including athletes, particularly teenagers, chronic, clinical depression is a prevalent and pathologic condition. In addition, in nondepressed patients (or in patients who are situationally depressed because of injury), the ability to deal with stressors may still govern clinical outcomes. Specific psychological traits of significance have been identified and defined, including self-efficacy; locus of control; resilience; catastrophizing; kinesiophobia; and fear of reinjury. (Fear of reinjury is the leading reason for failure to return to competitive sport, reduced activity levels after sports injury, and greater reinjury rates.) The traits may overlap and may be modifiable. Thus, like strength and functional testing, we should evaluate for signs or symptoms of depression, and we should measure psychological readiness to return to sport. With awareness, we can intervene or refer as indicated. Psychological readiness to return to sport represents an underexamined domain in which we can help our patients achieve best outcomes.