Posted: Feb 13, 2013 3:00 PM by Robert Preidt WEDNESDAY, Feb. 13
(HealthDay News) -- Youngsters who suffer an injury to the
knee's anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) require special
treatment and care to prevent future knee injuries and
complications such as osteoarthritis, a new study indicates. The
ACL is the main, stabilizing ligament of the knee joint. ACL
injuries were once rare in children and young teens but are on
the rise due to factors such as year-round training, less free
play and a focus on only one type of sport, according to the
researchers They analyzed published studies to identity the best
ways to treat ACL injuries in children and adolescents whose
bones have not yet fully matured, which typically occurs in
girls by age 14 and in boys by age 16. The study appears in the
February issue of the Journal of the American Academy of
Orthopaedic Surgeons. Based on their review, the researchers
said that youngsters with an ACL injury should be treated by an
orthopedic surgeon who has expertise in surg