Anterior Cruciate Ligament Ruptures in Adolescent Athletes

Introduction: Anterior cruciate ligament reconstruction in children is a highly sophisticated procedure that might lead to unintended complications. Following such an operation, each patient should receive increased attention during the rehabilitation and recovery process. Achieving the best possible functional outcome after surgery depends on a variety of factors, including biological maturity, emotional stability, and surgical procedures.
Materials and Methods: The study population is comprised of 23 skeletally immature patients with a complete rupture of the anterior cruciate ligament, broken down by sex as follows: 18 boys and 5 girls. The average age in the group was 14.1 years. The anterior cruciate ligament reconstruction was performed with bicortical fixation using the tendon of the m. semitendinosus as a graft.

Discussion: Skeletal immaturity is identified as a risk factor for postoperative complications that can arise after anterior cruciate ligament reconstruction. Cases of deformities or limb-length discrepancies formed during the course of skeletal growth have been observed. Furthermore, rehabilitation involves a number of issues, and the risk of graft rupture in children is substantially higher than that in the adult population.

Keywords: Skeletal Immaturity, Acl, Transphyseal Reconstruction