Acta chirurgiae orthopaedicae
et traumatologiae Čechoslovaca

Acta Chir Orthop Traumatol Cech. 2013; 80(2):155-158 | DOI: 10.55095/achot2013/024

Anterior Cruciate Ligament Injuries in Children and Adolescents in our Patient GroupOriginal papers

M. Straka^*

Klinika dětské chirurgie, ortopedie a traumatologie FN Brno a Lékařské fakulty MU Brno

PURPOSE OF THE STUDY:
Today arthroscopy remains the principal method in both the diagnosis and the therapy of knee injuries also in children and adolescents because serious knee ligament injuries, including those to the anterior cruciate ligament (ACL), are not rare in childhood. According to many authors, consequences of knee instability in children are more serious than in adults.

MATERIAL AND METHODS:
In 713 patients treated by arthroscopy for knee joint injuries at our department between 2000 and 2010, ACL injury ranked fifth among knee injuries and was found in 85 patients (12%). All patients in this group were under 19 years of age. The average age at the time of arthroscopic surgery was 15 years and 3 months. The patients were followed up at regular intervals for the symptoms and signs of anterior knee instability. Skeletal maturity achieved by the final follow-up (in 2010) was recorded in 69 (82%) of them.

RESULTS:
Of the 85 patients with ACL injury, 50 subsequently underwent ACL reconstruction. This procedure was used only when they achieved skeletal maturity. Correlation between pre-operative clinical diagnosis and arthroscopic findings was found only in 52% of the patients.

DISCUSSION:
The problem of anterior knee instability in children and adolescents still remains unsolved. Although surgical procedures for ACL reconstruction in skeletally immature patients have been described, most of the authors support the option of ACL reconstruction at the age of skeletal maturity. This view is also maintained by our team.

CONCLUSIONS:
The aim of this study was to draw attention to ACL injuries and resulting knee instability in children and adolescents.

Keywords: knee joint injuries, knee arthroscopy, anterior cruciate ligament injuries, children, adolescents

Published: April 1, 2013  Show citation