Department of Exercise, Sport and Lifestyle Medicine

Permanent URI for this community

https://scholar.sun.ac.za/handle/10019.1/105279

Browse

Browsing Department of Exercise, Sport and Lifestyle Medicine by Subject "ACL injury -- Recovery process"

Now showing 1 - 1 of 1
  • Thumbnail Image
    Item
    Anterior cruciate ligament rupture, reconstruction, rehabilitation and recovery: The personal experiences of competitive athletes.
    (Stellenbosch : Stellenbosch University, 2018-03) Borman, Anel; Grobbelaar, Heinrich; Derman, Wayne; Stellenbosch University. Faculty of Education. Dept. of Sport Science.
    ENGLISH ABSTRACT: Injury is an unavoidable part of sport with inevitable physical as well as psychological consequences. Anterior Cruciate Ligament (ACL) injuries is one of the most prevalent injuries in sport and although considerable research has focussed on the physical recovery, the psychological effects have been neglected. Identifying the thoughts, feelings and behaviours associated with the ACL rupture, reconstruction, rehabilitation and return-to-sport could enhance our understanding of the psychological impact of the ACL recovery process. The aims of the study were to explore and analyse the personal experiences of athletes who sustained a unilateral ACL rupture and underwent ACL reconstruction (ACLR) surgery at six time intervals during the post-injury recovery period up to and including return-to-sport. Seven competitive male athletes took part in the study. Semi-structured interviews were conducted immediately post-injury, preoperative, postoperative (phases 1, 2 & 3), as well as upon return-to-sport. The interviews elicited information about the personal and situational factors that influenced each athlete’s response to an ACL injury and undergoing ACLR surgery; their cognitive appraisal of the injury and recovery process; their emotional response to the injury and recovery process, as well as their behavioural response to the injury and recovery process. A total of 42 interviews were transcribed and analysed through the use of thematic analysis (TA). Six superordinate themes emerged; 1) establishing identity (athletic and personal), 2) cognitive appraisal, 3) responses (emotional and behavioural), 4) coping strategies (approach- and avoidance orientated), 5) types of social support (emotional, informational and tangible) and 6) advice/recommendations from injured research participants. The latter was specific to the return-to-sport phase. Each superordinate theme emerged as a result of a range of themes, sub-themes and categories of codes captured immediately post-injury, preoperatively, postoperatively (phases 1, 2 and 3) and upon return-to-sport. Direct quotes from participant transcripts were included to give meaning to each superordinate theme. All participants recovered physically from their injury and returned to sport within 12 months post-injury. This study reported thoughts, feelings and behaviours associated with athletes’ experiences of the rupture, ACLR surgery, rehabilitation and recovery process, as well as prior to and following return-to-sport. To the best of my knowledge, this is the first study of its kind conducted within a South African context and one of only a few studies to note the role of a biokineticist as a source of social support. This study provides guidelines and recommendations for medical professionals involved in the ACL rehabilitation process. Those involved in the rehabilitation process should be aware of the cognitions, emotions and behaviours associated with the rupture, reconstruction, rehabilitation and return-to-sport on the timeline to recovery. Focusing on athletes’ experiences of the five R’s associated with the ACL injury recovery process (i.e., Rupture, Reconstruction, Rehabilitation, Return-to-sport and Recovery) might help medical professionals, coaches, teammates, friends and family to have a better understanding of the injured athletes’ needs. Future research should aim to follow participants for up to two years post-surgery as it could take much longer for athletes to recover psychologically.