FATE OF THE ACL-INJURED PATIENT - A PROSPECTIVE OUTCOME STUDY

We followed 292 patients who had sustained an acute traumatic hemarthr osis for a mean of 64 months. The KT-1000 arthrometer measurements wit hin 90 days of injury revealed the injured knee was stable in 56 patie nts and unstable in 236. Forty-five unstable patients had an ACL recon struction within 90 days of injury. Surgical procedures performed >90 days after injury included ligament reconstruction in 46 patients. Fac tors that correlated with patients who had late surgery for a meniscal tear or an ACL reconstruction (P < 0.05) were preinjury hours of spor ts participation, arthrometer measurements, and patient age. Follow-up data are presented for the patients divided into four groups: I, earl y stable, no reconstruction; II, early unstable, no reconstruction; II I, early reconstruction; and IV, late reconstruction. No patient chang ed occupation because of the knee injury. Hours per year of sports par ticipation and levels of sports participation decreased in all groups. Joint arthrosis was documented by radiograph and bone scan. Joint sur face injury abnormalities observed at surgery and meniscal surgery sho wed greater abnormalities by radiograph and bone scan scores (P < 0.05 ). Reconstructed patients had a higher level of arthrosis by radiograp h and bone scan.