Effects of Balance Training on Unstable Grounds in Kinesiophobia After ACL Injury

Study aim(s): It has been observed that post-injury pain following an ACL injury leads to a decline in functional status and leads to kinesiophobia, which limits movements and activity. Our study aimed to examine the effects of an anterior cruciate ligament injury on kinesophobia in athletes recovering from an ACL injury. Methods: A total of 191 athletes participated in the study. They were divided into two groups: an exercising (97 people) and a non-exercising (94 people) group. The Tampa Kinesophobia Scale (TSK) was used to determine the athletes’ kinesophobia levels. For data analysis, a T-test, one-way ANOVA, and Tukey test for post-hoc analysis were used. The data were analyzed using the licensed SPSS 26 program. Results: The study found a significant difference in kinesophobia levels between the exercising group (37.34±5.73) and the non-exercising group (39.29±5.51) following ACL injury (p < 0.05). However, no significant differences in kinesophobia were observed concerning gender, age, sports history (except within the exercise group, p < 0.05), ACL surgery, or the injured knee (except within the exercise group, p < 0.05) (p > 0.05). Conclusion: The findings suggest that engaging in exercise after an ACL injury may help reduce kinesophobia levels. However, factors such as gender, age, sports history, ACL surgery, and the injured knee do not seem to significantly affect kinesophobia, except within the exercise group. This highlights the potential importance of exercise in recovery, regardless of demographic or injury-related variables.