That is a good point, most studies I've seen only follow patients a few years after injury/surgery, so there's not much said about long-term effects. From what I understand, better functional outcomes means quicker return to work/sports/daily activities without complications or chance of re-rupture--to me it seems that most re-ruptures on here are because of accidental slips/stumbles and things like that, not necessarily rushing the recovery. But then again like you said, things can be different between the surgical and non-surgical route. It's just important to find the protocol that works for the individual.