From the Popular Press: What Your Patients are Reading:

An increasing number of child and adolescent athletes are being diagnosed with torn anterior cruciate ligaments (ACLs), because of the growing competitiveness of youth sports and growing use of diagnostic imaging. The ACL is one of the main ligaments that stabilizes the knee. ACL injuries are generally caused by a twisting of the knee. Previously, a torn ACL injury was primarily diagnosed in adults. It was rarely in youth, and doctors might have been misdiagnosing torn ACLs as mere sprains. However, with youth sports becoming increasingly competitive and rigorous, more and more cases of torn ACLs are being reported in young athletes. Surprisingly, the number of girls suffering the injury is roughly 8 times the number of boys. Some orthopaedists believe that torn ACLs in children and adolescents may not actually be a new phenomenon, but rather a problem that has long been overlooked. Most children complaining of knee pain are now given an MRI, which makes diagnosing a torn ACL much easier. The standard repair of a torn ACL involves surgery that drills into the growth plate, but it may not be an option for children who still have growing bones. Orthopaedists are exploring possible new techniques for treating an ACL injury.

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