Paediatric Anterior Cruciate Ligament (ACL) Injuries: Current Concepts Review

Background Over the past two decades, there has been a documented increase in paediatric ACL injuries because of a rise in younger age sports participation at the competitive level, awareness about sports-related injuries, and advanced imaging modalities. Methods A PubMed electronic database search was done, which revealed 1366 hits over the last five years (2016 – 2020). Finally, 37 articles that contributed to new findings were included. This review was conducted based on predefined research questions. Results and conclusion Early surgical reconstruction is recommended in children due to the increasing demand for early return to sports and to prevent the instability that can lead to progressive cartilage and meniscal damage. With the evolution of several “physeal sparing” ACL reconstruction (ACLR) techniques, a favorable clinical outcome with less growth disturbance is achievable. Although different autograft options are available, hamstring autografts are most commonly preferred. A specific pattern of a bone bruise not extending into the metaphysis, and lateral meniscus tears are the most common associated injuries. Following paediatric ACLR, complications like graft rupture and contralateral ACL injuries are two to three folds higher than with adult ACLR. Unprepared early return to sports is one of the reasons for increased complication rates in children; thus, clearance criteria for return to sports need to be standardized, and early return to sports (< 9 months post ACLR) should be avoided. Neuromuscular training protocols are recommended to minimize complications like graft ruptures.