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Is The Age of 40 a Real Limit for ACL Reconstruction In Football Players?


Leonardo Osti, MD
ITALY

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Is The Age of 40 a Real Limit for ACL Reconstruction In Football Players?

Leonardo Osti, MD, ITALY

Hesperia Hospital, Modena, ITALY

2013 Congress   Paper Abstract   2013 Congress   Not yet rated

 

Patient Populations

Sport Specific Population

Anatomic Location

Knee

Anatomic Structure

Ligaments

Diagnosis / Condition

Instability

Sports Medicine

Practice Management Outcome Studies

Treatment / Technique

Arthroscopy Autograft

Ligaments

ACL

Summary: This retrospective study evaluated the functional outcomes of arthroscopic ACL reconstruction in soccer player over 40 years old compared with a control group under 30 years old.

Purpose

To compare the outcomes of arthroscopic Anterior Cruciate Ligament (ACL) reconstruction procedure in 20 football players over 40 and 20 subjects younger than 30 years (control group) at a minimum post-operative follow-up of 24 months.
 

Material And Methods

The two groups consisted of 20 patients all males age ranged from16-29 (mean age 26.1) for the first group and 20 patients in the second group ranged from 40 to 54 (mean age 46.7). All the patients underwent arthroscopic ACL reconstruction performed using a single bundle hamstring graft. A standardized post-op operative regime was administred in both groups. 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 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. IKDC AB values were 92% in the two groups Lysolm score mean values were 91 vs 90 in the under 40 and over 40 groups return to play mean time was 5.8 months vs 5.9 months
 

Conclusions

In the present study, arthroscopic surgery for the management of ACL tear and secondary lesions provides comparable clinical outcomes in football players over 40 and in patients aged below 30 years. Age over 40 years is not a limit for ACL reconstruction in football players.