Younger age, short return to sport may increase secondary ACL risk in adolescent athletes
Key takeaways:
- Results showed younger age was associated with an increased risk of secondary ACL injury.
- Shorter time to return to sport was also associated with an increased risk of secondary ACL injury.
SAN FRANCISCO — Younger age at the time of index ACL surgery and shorter time to return to sport following index surgery may be associated with sustaining a secondary ACL injury in adolescent athletes, according to results presented here.
“This is important for the counseling of young adolescent athletes, as well as their parents or guardians, for adequate rehab and time to return to sport,” Bhargavi Maheshwer, MD, orthopedic resident at Case Western University, said in her presentation at the American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons Annual Meeting.
Maheshwer and colleagues retrospectively reviewed data from 431 high school athletes aged 13 to 18 years who underwent primary ACL reconstruction from 2015 to 2020.
Overall, Maheshwer and colleagues found younger patient age and decreased time to return to sport were associated with an increased risk of both primary ACL graft failure and contralateral ACL injury. Maheshwer said that for every 1-year increase in age, there was a 29% decrease in the rate of secondary ACL injuries.
In addition, she said that for every 1-month delay in return to sport, there was a 17% decrease in the rate of secondary ACL injuries.
Maheshwer also noted that patients who sustained a primary graft failure tended to have fewer physical therapy visits.
“Ultimately, further studies are needed to optimize the development of specific return to sport protocols for this population,” Maheshwer said.
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Maheshwer B, et al. Paper 423. Presented at: American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons Annual Meeting; Feb. 12-16, 2024; San Francisco.