Press releases

Released August 26, 1999
Yale-New Haven Hospital news release

Yale Sports Medicine Center Study Shows Stress Inhibits Recovery

For more information, call 203-688-2488 or E-mail Ken Best

Early results from a new study on the rate of recovery from knee injuries show that patients who are highly stressed recover more slowly from their injuries than those with lower stress levels, according to doctors at the Yale Sports Medicine Center.

Women also seem to heal more slowly from their knee injuries, according to the preliminary reports in the study that is examining nonsurgical aspects of how patients at Yale-New Haven Hospital recover from arthroscopic knee and anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) reconstructive surgery.

Details about the study were released during a news conference about the upcoming 2nd Yale Conference on Women's Health & Fitness conducted at the Connecticut Tennis Center during the 1999 Pilot Pen International Women's Tennis Tournament.

Knee injuries are one of the most frequent injuries to athletes, including professional athletes. Former University of Connecticut star Rebecca Lobo of the New York Liberty suffered an ACL injury at the beginning of the WNBA season this summer. Jason Sehorn of the New York Giants of the NFL is recovering from knee surgery and expects to return to his team for the upcoming season. Former No. 1 tennis player Steffi Graf underwent knee surgery in 1997.

About 100 patients are part of the Yale study, one of the first to closely follow nonsurgical elements of how patients recover from their injuries. The study includes both so-called "weekend athletes" and those who compete on the intercollegiate level for Yale University. There are 40 ACL patients and 59 arthroscopic knee patients in the study of 44 women and 55 men that began last year.

"We're trying to see why some people recover faster than others," said Dr. Peter Jokl, chief of sports medicine at Yale-New Haven Hospital and director of the Yale Sports Medicine Center. "We hope to identify important nonsurgical factors influencing recovery in individuals undergoing these type of procedures and be able to intervene to enhance recovery. This is one of the few studies looking at it in such a broad base with all these other different factors."

Early information from the study indicates that people who have a lot of stress heal more slowly than another person who has had the identical surgery but has a more stable life, said Dr. Marc D. Silver, one of the investigators in the study.

"We're looking at stresses in one's life and at psychosocial issues," Dr. Silver said. "We're looking at blood tests to evaluate hormone levels and immunologic levels to see if there's any correlation. The most recent preliminary run of computer data also shows that women, for some reason, are recovering slower than men."

Dr. Silver said that it may be possible in the future to determine through a blood test that a patient recovering from knee surgery could benefit from early treatment with certain medications or counseling that could speed recovery.

More rapid recovery can result in quicker rehabilitation and recovery from surgery and, ultimately, earlier return to work and to sports activity, he added.

Reporters: For more information, call 203-688-2488 or E-mail Ken Best.

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