Teenagers who have knee surgery may have increased osteoarthritis risk

Adolescents who undergo knee surgery are more likely to experience osteoarthritis in later life, says a small study from Sweden presented at the American Orthopaedic Society for Sports Medicine’s Specialty Day in New Orleans.

The research focused on 32 people who had anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) reconstruction between the ages of 12–16 years. But 10–20 years after the surgery, experts found significant osteoarthritic changes had taken place in the reconstructed knee (65%) compared to the knee that was not involved (14%).

ACL reconstruction tends to be a very successful operation – this study also found that quality of life and other health concerns were found to be similar between the people who had surgery and a healthy control group.

“However, it is still important to evaluate long-term effects such as osteoarthritis when considering surgeries for these paediatric patients,” explains Dr Olle Mansson.