Degeneration of the Knee Joint in Skeletally Immature Patients With a Diagnosis of an Anterior Cruciate Ligament Tear: Is There Harm in Delay of Treatment?

In skeletally immature patients with an anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) tear and significant growth remaining, the risk of inducing a growth disturbance with early reconstruction must be balanced against the risk of further intra-articular damage by delaying treatment until closer to skeletal maturity.  Lawrence JT, Argawal N, Ganley TJ. Am J Sports Med. 2011 Sep 14. [Epub ahead of print] PMID: 21917611 PDF