Activity Profile of Members of an Online Health Community After Articular Cartilage Repair of the Knee

BACKGROUND: Articular cartilage repair (ACR) procedures aim to alleviate pain and restore function for individuals with chondral defects. Rehabilitation is lengthy, and there are limited data on return to sports and exercise activities after ACR in non-elite-athlete populations. The Internet is a growing source of health-related information for patients, and it has resulted in the emergence of online health communities. PURPOSE: To establish a postoperative activity profile of users of an online health community who have undergone ACR of the knee and to compare this profile with those from the same community who have undergone initial anterior cruciate ligament reconstruction (ACLR). STUDY DESIGN: Cross-sectional. METHODS: Tegner Activity Scale ratings were collected via a self-reported online questionnaire from 201 participants of an online health community who had undergone tibiofemoral and/or patellofemoral ACR (n = 75) or ACLR (n = 126). RESULTS: A higher Tegner activity level was significantly correlated to time from surgery for ACR (P < 0.005) and ACLR (P < 0.01). At a minimum of 24 months’ follow-up, the ACR group had a median postoperative Tegner score of 3, compared with 6 for the ACLR group. Tegner score was significantly negatively correlated with age at time of surgery for ACLR (P < 0.05) but not for ACR. Men demonstrated significantly higher Tegner activity levels than did women for both ACLR and ACR (P < 0.05). CONCLUSIONS: Activity levels after ACR in this population increased with postoperative time but remained lower than expected when compared with current published clinical and normative data. CLINICAL RELEVANCE: Engagement with an online health community may influence expectations regarding return to sports and exercise activities. Reporting of activity-level data within clinical studies should be differentiated on the basis of sex. Further research is needed to elucidate factors that determine return to sports and exercise activities after ACR.