2017 Volume 67 Issue 2 Pages 129-133
Background: Risk factors have been reported for osteoarthritis (OA) after anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) reconstruction, but previous studies did not include a control group, and may have included OA that would have naturally developed even in the absence of ACL injury. This study investigated risk factors compared with the patient's own contralateral knee.
Methods: Three hundred forty-nine patients who had undergone ACL reconstruction at least 15 years previously were invited to visit the hospital. After exclusion criteria were applied, 40 patients were included in the study, including 16 with progressive OA and 24 without OA. Progressive OA was defined as OA that was more advanced on the affected side than on the contralateral side. The variables evaluated included age at the time of surgery, time from injury to surgery, sex, graft material, cartilage damage, and meniscectomy.
Results: No significant differences between groups were seen in terms of age, time from injury to surgery, sex, graft material, or cartilage damage. Meniscectomy was ultimately performed significantly more frequently in the OA group (88%) than in the non-OA group (38%; p< 0.01).
Conclusions: Meniscectomy was found to constitute a risk factor for the progression of OA after ACL reconstruction.
