A Johns Hopkins Children’s Center study of medical records concludes that delaying surgical treatment of the anterior cruciate ligament, or ACL, in some children is associated with a higher risk of new tears in the meniscus and cartilage after the initial injury to the ligament, which helps join the thigh bone to the shin bone. Adults with the same type of so-called ACL injury generally showed no significant increase in such risk, investigators say.
Study finds delayed ACL surgery may be safe for many adults, less so for some children
A Johns Hopkins Children's Center study of medical records concludes that delaying surgical treatment of the anterior cruciate ligament, or ACL, in some children is associated with a higher risk of new tears in the meniscus and cartilage after the initial injury to the ligament, which helps join the thigh bone to the shin bone. Adults with the same type of so-called ACL injury generally showed no significant increase in such risk, investigators say.