Ankle Ligament Reconstruction - Return to Sport after Injury (ALR-RSI): a valid scale to quantify psychological readiness to return to sports after ankle ligament reconstruction

OBJECTIVES: Chronic instability is the main complication of ankle sprains and requires surgical intervention if non-surgical treatment fails. The aim of this study was to validate a tool to quantify psychological readiness to return to sports after ankle ligament reconstruction. METHODS: The form was designed like the Anterior Cruciate Ligament-Return to Sport after Injury (ACL-RSI) scale, and the term "anterior cruciate" was replaced by "ankle". The Ankle Ligament Reconstruction - Return to Sport after Injury Scale (ALR-RSI) was completed by patients who had undergone ankle ligament reconstruction and who practiced a sport. The scale was then validated according to the COSMIN international methodology. The AOFAS and Karlsson scores were used as reference questionnaires. RESULTS: 57 patients (59 ankles) were included, 27 of whom were women. The ALR-RSI scale was highly correlated with the Karlsson score (r=0.79 [0.66-0.87]) and the AOFAS score (r=0.8 [0.66-0.87]). A highly significant difference was noted on the ALR-RSI scale between the subgroup of 50 patients who returned to sports and the 7 who did not: 68.8 (56.5-86.5) versus 45.0 (31.3-55.8), respectively, p = 0.02. The internal consistency of the scale was high (α = 0.96). Reproducibility of the test-retest was excellent (ρ = 0.92, 95% CI [0.86-0.96]). CONCLUSION: The ALR-RSI is a valid, reproducible scale with which to identify patients who are ready to resume the same sport after ankle ligament reconstruction. This scale can help to identify athletes who will have difficulty returning to sports.