What Psychological Factors Affect Return to Sports After Shoulder Stabilization Surgery? A Scoping Review.

Objective: Despite excellent functional outcomes after shoulder stabilization surgery, a substantial number of patients fail to return to sports (RTS) at the preinjury level. The psychological factors affecting RTS postsurgery have been underexplored. This scoping review aimed to identify and analyze potential psychological factors influencing the decision to RTS after shoulder stabilization surgery.

Data sources: We reviewed the EBSCOhost/SPORTDiscus, PubMed/Medline, Scopus, EMBASE, and Cochrane Library databases for studies on patients with anterior glenohumeral instability who underwent stabilization surgery. We included studies that reported on RTS and considered the psychological factors influencing the decision to return.

Main results: Our analysis comprised 21 articles involving 2073 patients. Psychological factors influencing RTS after surgery were categorized within the framework of transactional stress and coping model. Primary appraisal factors, such as fear of reinjury, kinesiophobia, and anxiety, emerged as significant influencers. In addition, we explored factors related to social support, self-determination, motivation, competing interests, and advanced age. Assessment tools were used to evaluate the psychological readiness for RTS.

Conclusions: This scoping review identified fear of reinjury and kinesiophobia as important psychological barriers to returning to sports after shoulder stabilization surgery. The limited use of psychological assessment tools and lack of comparative studies have restricted robust conclusions.

Level of evidence: Level IV, Scoping review.