Anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) reconstruction is one of the most common orthopedic surgeries. Given an aging population, this study was designed to compare the outcomes of ACL reconstruction in patients over 50 with those of younger patients.

This prospective study compared the outcomes of 28 consecutive patients, 50 years of age or older, with 36 patients under 40 years of age, all presenting for reconstruction of an ACL tear. Data collected at baseline and at five years′ follow-up included subjective functional status, assessed using the Lysholm score, activity level, assessed with the Tegner Activity Scale, development of osteoarthritis (OA), assessed by radiological evaluation and joint laxity measurement using the KT-1000 arthrometer.

The mean time to return to activity was 102 days in the older subjects and 93 days in the younger group (P>0.05). At the final evaluation, no difference was found between the younger and older groups in Lysholm scores (P＝0.20), Tegner Activity Scale scores (P＝0.22) or the development of degenerative OA. The mean side-to-side differences in the KT-1000 arthrometric evaluation of laxity were 1.6mm in the in the older group and 2.7mm in younger group (P＝0.009)．

This study of patients undergoing anterior cruciate ligament reconstruction repair found that those over age 50 can achieve comparable results to younger patients.