Objective: To evaluate trends in the frequency of anterior cruciate ligamen
t (ACL) tears among adolescent soccer and basketball players resulting in r
econstructive surgery, and to assess differences between female and male ad
olescent athletes.
Design: A retrospective review of ACL reconstructive surgeries performed fr
om 1992 through 1997 and annual statewide participation rates obtained from
the National Federation of Stare High School Associations.
Setting: Children's Hospital, Boston, Massachusetts, U.S.A.
Patients: Adolescent athletes 13 to 19 years of age (78 girls, 31 boys) adm
itted for ACL reconstruction due to soccer or basketball injuries.
Main Outcome Measures: Number of ACL reconstructive surgeries and number of
Massachusetts participants in high school soccer and basketball.
Results: A total of 69 soccer (49 girls, 20 males) and 40 basketball (29 gi
rls, 11 males) players underwent ACL reconstruction. A greater proportion o
f girls underwent ACL surgery in both sports. The frequency increased over
time for both sexes in both sports. Soccer-related surgeries increased at a
faster rate among girls than boys. Basketball-related surgeries increased
at a similar rate for both sexes, although in any given year more surgeries
were performed on girls.
Conclusion: The frequency of ACL surgery at our institution has increased a
mong high school soccer and basketball players in a manner consistent with
trends in sports participation. In our study, ACL surgery was more common a
mong girls than boys.