Prevalence of Posttraumatic Stress Disorder Symptoms Among Young Athletes After Anterior Cruciate Ligament Rupture

Background:The risk of depression and the fear of reinjury were documented in recent investigations of patients after anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) ruptures. The extent of psychological trauma accompanying these injuries among young athletes, however, has never been assessed.Hypothesis:Posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) symptoms after ACL injury are present among young athletes with high athletic identities.Study DesignCase series; Level of evidence, 4.Methods:Patients ≤21 years of age who had suffered an acute ACL rupture were consecutively recruited at a tertiary care center. Patients completed the Horowitz Impact of Event Scale - Revised (IES-R) to analyze for PTSD symptomatology, the Athletic Identity Measurement Scale, and an athlete specialization instrument created at the authors’ institution.Results:A total of 24 patients were consecutively recruited. The mean patient age was 14.5 ± 2.7 years, and 50% of patients were male. More than 87.5% of patients experienced avoidance symptoms, 83.3% ack...