Back in the Game: a Smartphone Application to Support Athletes Returning to Sport After Serious Injury

Returning to sport is one of the primary concerns of athletes following injury. Yet, after serious injury, up to 50% of athletes do not return to competitive sport. Psychological factors play an important role in the athlete's return to sport after anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) reconstruction, and physical and psychological readiness to return to sport often do not coincide. There are currently no easily accessible programs for non‐professional athletes to help address the psychological factors that impact on their return to sport after injury. The aim of this trial is to test whether a smartphone application (app) delivering cognitive‐behavioural therapy to address psychological factors including fear, confidence and recovery expectations, is effective for improving the number of people who return sport following ACL reconstruction. We hypothesise that patients who use the app in addition to receiving usual rehabilitation care after ACL reconstruction will return to sport in greater numbers than patients who receive usual rehabilitation care only.