The Impact of Grit on Early Knee Motion after ACL Surgery

Fabricant et al recently published an article titled, "Higher Grit Scores Are Associated With Earlier Increases in Knee Flexion Following Anterior Cruciate Ligament Reconstruction With Meniscus Repair in Pediatric Patients."

The Grit Scale is used to measure grit, defined by Duckworth and colleagues as the disposition to show perseverance and passion for long-term goals.

A separate study (disussed here) revealed grit scores were correlated with faster readiness for return to sport (RTS) in patients undergoing anterior cruciate ligament reconstruction (ACLR). 

The latest studied investigated the association between pediatric patients' baseline grit scores and (among other variables) range of motion (ROM) after ACLR. 

What did they find?

A total of 58 patients undergoing ACLR were analyzed: 20 ACLR ± meniscectomy and 38 ACLR + meniscus repair.

The mean age was 15.0 ± 2.1 years with 41.4% of participants identifying as females.

The authors found no differences in pain scores at presentation between grit cohorts BUT found that patients with grit scores below the 50th percentile undergoing ACLR + meniscus repair had 5 degrees less total ROM at 3 months compared with those with high grit scores.

The authors postulated that quicker ROM recovery in patients with high grit may be a leading indicator of these patients' likelihood to achieve other postoperative milestones and meet criteria for RTS more quickly.

Author

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.