NIH grant supports investigation of connection between ACL surgery and osteoarthritis
Every year, about 250,000 people in the U.S. sustain injuries to the anterior cruciate ligament (ACL), and about half of these individuals end up having reconstructive surgery.
But even more disturbing is that some 30 to 60 percent of those who undergo surgery develop osteoarthritis (OA) within five years.
“ACL injury typically affects active young adults participating in sports like basketball, football, skiing and soccer, which means that this population is developing OA in their 20s and 30s,” says the University of Delaware’s Thomas Buchanan.