Description
An explorative analysis of the prospective multicenter cohort study – NACOX, designed to describe the natural corollaries and recovery after acute ACL injury. The study aimed to explore trajectories of participation in physical exercise during three years after an ACL injury. Patients aged 15-40 years, with an acute ACL injury were included within 6 weeks from the injury, treated according to usual care, and followed longitudinally three years from injury. Self-reported participation in Physical exercise (PE) was collected as follows: “How much time did you spend last week on exercising at a level that makes you short-winded, for example, running, fitness class, or ball games?” Single Assessment Numeric Evaluation (SANE) was used to rate knee function. An overview of the patients' PE level was described using, state sequence analysis. Hierarchical Cluster Analysis was used to identify clusters of trajectories for participation in PE. Four clusters were identified and varied from low- (cluster 1) to high (cluster 4) participation in PE. Cluster 1 had the highest number of patients with low PE participation before injury. Patients in cluster 2 had the longest mean time to ACLR. Cluster 3 had the highest amount of patients who had an ACLR during the three years. Patients in cluster 4 had the shortest mean time from ACL injury to ACLR and few new injuries and surgeries. The study reveals important factors that affect participation in PE after an ACL injury. These factors can be used by healthcare personnel working with ACL injuries and rehabilitation to support the patients to participate in PE to benefit from health advantages and maintain good health.
