Snapchat-Based Structured Education Reduces Kinesiophobia and Improves Psychological Readiness and Perceived Knee Function Following Anterior Cruciate Ligament Reconstruction: A Quasi-Experimental Study

Background/Objectives: Psychological barriers, particularly kinesiophobia and diminished psychological readiness, represent critical yet undertreated obstacles to a successful return to sport following anterior cruciate ligament reconstruction (ACLR). Scalable, preference-aligned educational interventions capable of addressing these barriers during early rehabilitation are lacking. We aimed to evaluate the effectiveness of structured educational content delivered via Snapchat, as an adjunct to standard ACLR rehabilitation, in reducing kinesiophobia (primary outcome) and improving psychological readiness and perceived knee function (secondary outcomes). Methods: A total of 120 adults with clinically elevated kinesiophobia (TSK-17 > 37) undergoing post-operative ACLR rehabilitation were enrolled in a quasi-experimental, two-arm study with non-randomized allocation at the clinic-branch level at two branches of the same sports rehabilitation clinic (Joint Clinics, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia). Branch allocation assigned 60 participants to each group (intervention and control). The intervention group received 12 weekly structured educational videos via Snapchat alongside standard rehabilitation; the control group received standard rehabilitation alongside general ACLR information videos via Snapchat. TSK-17, ACL-RSI, and IKDC were assessed at baseline and at 12 weeks. Primary analysis used ANCOVA covarying baseline scores, complemented by mixed repeated measures ANOVA and intent-to-treat analysis. Results: Both groups improved across all outcomes; the intervention group demonstrated significantly greater gains. ANCOVA revealed significant between-group differences favoring the intervention for TSK-17 (adjusted mean difference = −2.82; d = 0.54; p < 0.001; d represents Cohen’s d calculated from adjusted mean differences and pooled SD), ACL-RSI (+8.06; d = 0.77; p < 0.001), and IKDC (+8.90; d = 0.54; p = 0.002). Mean video completion was 82.8% among intervention participants. Intent-to-treat analyses using Multiple Imputation confirmed all findings. Conclusions: Snapchat-based structured education was associated with improvements in kinesiophobia, psychological readiness, and perceived knee function among the 102 analyzed participants (control n = 52; intervention n = 50) of the 120 enrolled. High engagement supports preference-based digital delivery as a scalable adjunct to standard rehabilitation.