This article is more than 5 years old. Information may no longer be current.
Study details trends for isolated ACL tears, injury management
Results from this 21-year population-based study indicated isolated ACL tears are a common orthopedic injury, with an annual incidence of 68.6 tears per 100,000 person-years.
To identify trends in ACL injury and treatment, researchers identified 1,841 patients diagnosed with new-onset, isolated ACL tears between January 1, 1990 and December 31, 2010. Investigators assessed patients’ medical records for tear confirmation and gathered information on the injury and treatment.
After adjusting findings for patient age and sex, investigators found the overall annual rate of ACL tears was 68.8 per 100,000 person-years. Investigators noted the incidence rates were significantly higher in men than women. During the 21-year study, there was a significant decrease in the incidence of isolated ACL tears among men. However, the rate remained stable in women.
The peak incidence rate for men was seen between the ages of 19 years and 25 years and for women, it was between the ages of 14 years and 18 years. With time, the ACL reconstruction rate significantly increased among all age groups. ‒ by Monica Jaramillo
Disclosure: The researchers report no relevant financial disclosures.