The Impact of Grit on Athlete's ACL Recovery

The Impact of Grit on Athlete's ACL Recovery

Researchers recently investigated grit in relation to outcomes following ACL surgery. Grit is the disposition to strive for long-term goals despite setbacks and challenges.

ACL surgery recovery is a long journey and the author's postulated that an athlete's grit may predict postoperative outcomes across time.

The author's primary purpose of the study was to:

Evaluate the relationships between baseline (preoperative) grit and postoperative knee outcomes across the year after ACLR among adolescents.

All athletes completed outcomes scores including:

The Short Grit Scale, the Pediatric International Knee Documentation Committee (Pedi-IKDC) Scale, the Lysholm Knee Scoring Scale, the Patient-Reported Outcomes Measurement Information System (PROMIS) pediatric scale for pain interference and mobility, the Hospital for Special Surgery Pediatric Functional Activity Brief Scale (HSS Pedi-FABS), and the Quality of Life in Neurological Disorders (NeuroQoL) Lower Extremity Function Short

The authors included 137 participants (mean age 15.8 ± 2.74 years, 70% female)

What did the authors find?

There were no statistically significant changes in grit over time or differences in grit between age and sex.

* Athletes with higher baseline grit reported superior postoperative physical function and activity level over the course of 1 year after ACLR compared with less gritty athletes.

* Grit may be a useful measure in predicting success in regaining physical function across time after ACLR in adolescent athletes.

More on this topic - listen HERE.

Learn more about ACL Unbroken - a project to help athletes increase their Grit and improve their physical outcomes following ACL surgery:

https://www.theunbrokenathlete.com/joinus

Author
Dr. Catherine Logan Headshot Dr. Catherine Logan, MD, MBA Catherine Logan, MD, MBA, MSPT, is a sports medicine orthopaedic surgeon specializing in complex knee and shoulder surgery at Colorado Sports Medicine and Orthopaedics (COSMO) in Denver, Colorado. As a former physical therapist & trainer, Dr. Logan provides a distinct expertise in sports injury, prevention, and surgical management.

You Might Also Enjoy...

Dr. Catherine Logan ACL BEAR Surgeon

Tell Me About the BEAR ACL Surgery

The BEAR procedure represents a novel approach to ACL repair that focuses on biological healing and preservation of the native ligament. By using a bioactive scaffold and the patient's own blood, this technique aims to facilitate natural tissue regeneratio
Grit and ACL outcomes

Grit's Impact on ACL Recovery

Overall, grit plays a critical role in ACL recovery by influencing an individual's mindset, behaviors, and outcomes throughout the rehabilitation process.