Medical Edge Newspaper Column

Active Baby Boomers With Common Knee Injury May Not Be Sidelined Permanently

March 27, 2008
READERS:
Active baby boomers who sustain a common knee injury may not be sidelined permanently, according to a recent Mayo Clinic study.

Each year, thousands of people tear a key ligament that helps to stabilize their knee joint. An anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) tear often results from a hard twist, sudden stop while running, landing improperly after a jump, or a direct blow to the knee. The result is an unstable knee that can 'give way' or slip out of alignment. For some, physical therapy, such as muscle strengthening, is enough to prevent the knee from slipping. For active people, however, the best treatment for an ACL tear and persistent instability of the knee is often reconstructive surgery. But, ACL reconstruction hasn't always been considered a viable option for boomers.

"Traditionally, patients over age 40 or 50 were not considered strong candidates for surgery," says Diane Dahm, M.D. a Mayo Clinic orthopedic surgeon and lead author of the study. "Many felt that these patients were generally not very active and that they'd probably do just fine without ACL reconstruction."

The study followed the recovery of 34 patients aged 50 to 66 for an average of 48 months following ACL surgery at Mayo Clinic. Participants had symptomatic ACL tears and no significant degenerative arthritis. After surgery, 83 percent of the participants returned to playing sports.

"Patients were able to get back to pre-injury activities, and their results compared favorably to younger patients who had undergone reconstructive surgery," concluded Dr. Dahm. "When considering ACL reconstruction, a patient's fitness level and desire to return to an active lifestyle should be taken into account, rather than age alone."