COMPARISON OF FUNCTIONAL OUTCOMES AND KINESIOPHOBIA LEVELS AFTER ANTERIOR CRUCIATE LIGAMENT RECONSTRUCTION WITH HAMSTRING TENDON AUTOGRAFT VERSUS FRESH-FROZEN ALLOGRAFT: A CROSS-SECTIONAL STUDY

Objective: Determining the best graft in the selection of various graft types for anterior cruciate ligament reconstruction (ACLR) is still unclear. The study aimed to compare the functional outcomes and kinesiophobia among individuals who underwent ACLR with either hamstring tendon autograft or fresh-frozen allografts and healthy individuals. Method: A total of 44 individuals undergoing ACLR and 30 healthy individuals were assessed. Individuals who underwent ACLR with hamstring tendon autograft (Group 1) or fresh-frozen allograft (Group 2) and a control group with similar activity levels (Group 3) were included in this study. The surgical groups were evaluated 12-48 months after surgery. Evaluations included detailed history, knee muscle strength, single-leg hop test, and kinesiophobia. Results: There were 24 individuals (mean age 31.71±9.78 years) in Group 1, 20 individuals (mean age 32.35±5.58 years) in Group 2, and 30 healthy controls (mean age 33.77±7.09 years) in Group 3. There was no difference between the surgical groups in terms of single-leg hop test, kinesiophobia, and muscle strength (p>0.05). However, there were significant differences between the ACLR groups with the control group in terms of muscle strength of injured side (p<0.002), single-leg hop test (p<0.029), and kinesiophobia level (p=0.005). Conclusion: This study showed that no graft type was superior to another in terms of functional outcomes and kinesiophobia after ACLR. In addition, the need for long-term rehabilitation of individuals with ACLR should be taken into consideration to reach their pre-operative functional level.