Degeneration of the Knee Joint in Skeletally Immature Patients With a Diagnosis of an Anterior Cruciate Ligament Tear

Abstract

Young patients who underwent surgical reconstruction of an acute ACL tear >12 weeks after the injury were noted to have a significant increase in irreparable medial meniscal tears and lateral compartment chondral injuries at the time of reconstruction. When a subjective sense of knee instability was present, this association was even stronger.