Safe return to play (RTP) after anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) reconstruction is critical to patient satisfaction. Enhanced rehabilitation after ACL reconstruction with appropriate objective criteria for RTP may reduce the risk of subsequent injury. The cost-effectiveness of an enhanced RTP (eRTP) strategy relative to standard post-ACL reconstruction rehabilitation has not been investigated.

In conclusion, the eRTP strategy in this study adds additional neuromuscular retraining and additional physician follow-up—as well as advanced testing goals upon which RTP is contingent—to traditional physical therapy. Our data suggest that these additions are cost-effective, even assuming only modest associated decreases in ACL graft failure. This study also determined that the only variable that had the potential to change the cost-effectiveness conclusion based on predetermined ranges was the additional cost of rehabilitation based on 1-way sensitivity analysis.

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Five articles from the April 2020 issue summarized in five minutes, with the addition of a brief editorial commentary. The 5-in-5 feature is designed to give readers an overview of articles that may pique their interest and encourage more detailed reading. It may also be used by busy readers who would prefer a brief audio summary in order to select the articles they want to read in full.

The featured articles for this month are, "Outcomes of Arthroscopic All-Inside Repair versus Observation in Older Patients with Meniscus Root Tears", "What Can a Jump Tell Us About Elbow Injuries in Professional Baseball Pitchers?", "Incidence and Prognostic Significance of the Segond Fracture in Patients Undergoing Anterior Cruciate Ligament Reconstruction", "Video Confirmation of Head Impact Sensor Data From High School Soccer Players", and "Risk Factors for Intra-articular Bone and Cartilage Lesions in Patients Undergoing Surgical Treatment for Posterior Instability".

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