The effects of social determinants of health on anterior cruciate ligament injury recovery.

CONTEXT

Over 200,000 anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) injuries occur in the United States each year. While many patients choose to pursue ACL reconstruction (ACLR), the impact of social determinants of health (SDOH) on outcomes is unclear.

OBJECTIVE

The purpose of this study was to review and synthesize current literature to determine the impact of SDOH on outcomes following ACL reconstruction.

DATA SOURCES

A systematic search of PubMed, CINAHL, Medline, PsychINFO, and Scopus was completed.

STUDY SELECTION

Articles reporting outcomes following ACLR were included if they discussed at least one SDOH and provided ACLR failure rates.

STUDY DESIGN

Systematic review.

LEVEL OF EVIDENCE

Level I.

RESULTS

After screening 712 studies, 13 were found that met inclusion criteria and were analyzed. Studies commonly examined the correlations between race, income, location, education, and insurance on outcomes following ACLR. Three studies found that the ACL revision risk for Black patients compared to White patients ranged from 0.23 to 0.78, while the revision risk for Hispanic patients compared to White patients ranged from 0.7 to 0.83. One study reported finding that the odds ratio of revision for the White patients was 1.32. Another study reported no difference in revision risk based on race. Patients living in urban areas were found to have improved outcomes compared to rural areas (Mean IKDC (Urban 85.3 vs Rural 81.87) and Tegner-Lysholm (Urban 88.26 vs Rural 84.82)). Lower socioeconomic status was correlated with decreased post-operative functional scores (KOOS, Marx and IKDC).

CONCLUSION

Several SDOH such as White race, rural location, and low socioeconomic status may be independently correlated with worse ACLR outcomes in the form of increased revision rates or worse post-operative functional scores. However, further research is needed to better elucidate the degree of impact and interconnectedness of SDOH domains on ACLR patient outcomes.