Patients that maintain their pre-injury level of physical activity 3-5 years after ACL reconstruction are, 18 months after surgery, characterised by higher levels of readiness to return to sport.

Two out of three patients who have returned to their previous level of PA at 18 months can be expected to maintain that level, 3-5 years following ACL reconstruction. These patients were mainly characterised by a higher level of psychological readiness, especially in patients who participated in knee-strenuous sport and were younger than 20 years of age. The results of this study suggest that patients become more physically inactive over time, implicating the importance of clinicians helping patients find a suitable PA that may help patients maintain an active lifestyle.