Early ACL surgery has benefits for young athletes

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Early ACL surgery has benefits for young athletes

By Megan Brooks NEW YORK (Reuters Health) - Young athletes who put off surgery after tearing their anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) may be more likely to sustain a second knee injury, according to a new study. Researchers found that kids and teenagers who waited at least six weeks for ACL surgery were at higher risk of tearing their meniscus, C-shaped pieces of shock-absorbing cartilage in the knee. Historically, doctors have thought it was best to delay surgery for kids with a torn ACL until their bones were more mature to avoid disturbing leg growth, said lead author Dr. Allen F. Anderson, from the Tennessee Orthopaedic Alliance in Nashville. “This study confirms studies from the last couple of years that the trend probably needs to be toward earlier surgery for athletes,” Dr. David Geier said.

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