Surgery for ACL deficiency in patients over 50.
OBJECTIVE
To compare the outcomes of arthroscopic ACL reconstruction procedure in 20 middle-aged patients (12 men and 8 women) and 20 subjects younger than 30 years (control group) at a minimum post-operative follow-up of 24 months.


METHODS
Pre- and post-operative anterior-posterior laxity was assessed by Lachman test, pivot shift test and KT1000 arthrometer at manual maximum stress. Clinical functional evaluation was assessed according to IKDC Committee (IKDC) subjective knee form, IKDC ligament standard evaluation and Lysholm score.


RESULTS
At 2 years, all variables significantly improved in both groups compared to pre-operative values (P < 0.05), with non-significant intergroup difference.


CONCLUSIONS
When faced with ACL deficiency, physiological age, condition of the knee at the time of examination, life expectancy and activity level are probably more important than chronologic age. In the present study, arthroscopic surgery for the management of ACL tear and secondary lesions provides comparable clinical outcomes in middle-aged patients and in patients aged below 30.
Osti
Leonardo
L
Unit of Arthroscopy and Sports Trauma Surgery, Hesperia Hospital, Via Arquà 80/b, Modena, Italy.
Papalia
Rocco
R
Del Buono
Angelo
A
Leonardi
Francesco
F
Denaro
Vincenzo
V
Maffulli
Nicola
N
D000328:Adult; D000367:Age Factors; D016118:Anterior Cruciate Ligament / Q000503:physiopathology / Q000601:surgery*; D000070598:Anterior Cruciate Ligament Injuries; D001182:Arthroscopy / Q000379:methods*; D016022:Case-Control Studies; D016001:Confidence Intervals; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006801:Humans; D007593:Joint Instability / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000601:surgery; D007719:Knee Joint / Q000503:physiopathology / Q000601:surgery; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D015588:Observer Variation; D010147:Pain Measurement; D019651:Plastic Surgery Procedures / Q000379:methods*; D020127:Recovery of Function; D012016:Reference Values; D018570:Risk Assessment; D012720:Severity of Illness Index; D018709:Statistics, Nonparametric; D016896:Treatment Outcome