The Relationship Between Active Coping Skills and Self-Reported Knee Function in Individuals with Anterior Cruciate Ligament Reconstruction.

Context: Individuals with anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) injury commonly experience injury related stressors which can adversely impact subjective knee function after ACL reconstruction (ACLR). Due to the positive effect of active coping skills on perceived stressors, use of such strategies may influence clinical outcomes in individuals with ACLR, such as self-reported knee function. However, it is unknown whether active coping skills are associated with self-reported knee function in this population.

Objectives: Examine the relationship between active coping skills and self-reported knee function in individuals with ACLR.

Design: Cross-Sectional Study.

Setting: Laboratory.

Patients or other participants: Forty-five participants (34 females; age=20.0[3.3] years) 4-months to 5-years post-unilateral ACLR (time since ACLR=12.0[16.0] months).

Main outcome measure(s): The Athlete Coping Skills Inventory (ACSI) Confidence and Achievement Motivation (ACSI Confid), Goal Setting/Mental Preparation (ACSI Goal/Prep), and Coping with Adversity (ACSI Coping) subscales were used to measure active coping skill facets. The Knee Injury and Osteoarthritis Outcome Score (KOOS) was used to measure self reported knee function across 5 subscales: pain (KOOS-Pain), symptoms (KOOS-Symptoms), activities of daily living (KOOS-ADL), quality of life (KOOS-QOL), and sports/recreation (KOOS-Sport). Partial Spearman's correlations were used to examine relationships between active coping skills and self-reported knee function after controlling for time since ACLR and age.

Results: Moderate positive correlations were observed between the ACSI Confid and KOOS Pain (r=0.493, P=0.001), ACSI Confid and KOOS-QOL (r=0.505, P<0.001), ACSI Confid and KOOS-Sport (r=0.422, P=0.007), and ACSI Goal/Prep and KOOS-Pain (r=0.441, P=0.004). Weak positive correlations were observed between the ACSI Goal/Prep and KOOS-ADL (r=0.373, P=0.018) and ACSI Goal/Prep and KOOS-QOL (r=0.374, P=0.017).

Conclusions: Individuals with ACLR who exhibited greater active coping skill facets reported better knee-related function. Assessing active coping skills among individuals with ACLR and poor self-reported knee function may provide clinicians with insight into the role of coping in perceived function and potential treatment approaches.