Beyond Physical Recovery: Psychological Factors and Assessment Tools in Return to Sport Decision-making after Anterior Cruciate Ligament Reconstruction – A Scoping Review

# Background Anterior cruciate ligament reconstruction (ACLR) is among the most common surgical interventions following sport-related knee injury, yet fewer than two-thirds of athletes return to their pre-injury level of sport. Psychological factors are increasingly recognized as critical determinants of successful return to sport (RTS), yet psychological instruments remain inconsistently integrated into RTS decision-making and no consensus exists on which tools best capture the multidimensional nature of psychological readiness. The purpose of this review was to examine the psychological instruments used in RTS decision-making among athletes recovering from ACLR and identify gaps in current assessment practices.