title: Anterior cruciate ligament reconstruction in patients aged > 40 years: a case-control study.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To determine the outcomes of isolated anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) reconstruction in physically active patients aged > 40 years, and to compare these results with those of a younger patient cohort who underwent the same procedure.
  
  
  METHODS
  A retrospective review was performed on all patients aged > 40 years who underwent ACL reconstruction between 2000 and 2008. A consecutive series of patients aged ≤ 25 years who underwent the same procedure during this same time period were selected as a control group. Age, sex, graft type, concomitant injuries, complications, and a validated outcome measure (Lysholm Knee Scoring Scale) were assessed at final follow-up.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Forty-six patients (average age, 44.9 years; 28 men, 18 women) in the older group were identified and compared with 48 patients (average age, 21 years; 23 men, 25 women) in the younger group, with an average follow-up period of 5.4 and 5.1 years, respectively. There was no statistically significant difference between the groups in terms of associated injuries. The older group had a higher degree of cartilage degeneration (P = 0.0001). Lysholm scores averaged 90.3 in the older cohort compared with 88.7 in the younger cohort, with no statistical difference between groups.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The older patients had outcomes comparable with the younger patients. Age alone should not exclude ACL-deficient patients from undergoing reconstructive surgery.
authors: Department of Orthopaedics and Sports Medicine, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, USA.
authors: Albert O
authors: AO
authors: Gee
authors: Stuart
authors: S
authors: Kinsella
authors: G Russell
authors: GR
authors: Huffman
authors: Brian J
authors: BJ
authors: Sennett
authors: Fotios P
authors: FP
authors: Tjoumakaris
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000367:Age Factors; D059549:Anterior Cruciate Ligament Reconstruction / Q000379:methods*; D016022:Case-Control Studies; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D018709:Statistics, Nonparametric; D016896:Treatment Outcome