Effect of anterior cruciate ligament rupture on secondary damage to menisci and articular cartilage

•Secondary damage to menisci and articular cartilage was evaluated.•Positive correlations between secondary damage and time after initial injury were investigated.•The best time range for ACL reconstruction was found to be between four and six weeks after initial injury.

ObjectiveThe aim of this study was to evaluate the effect of anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) rupture on secondary damage to menisci and articular cartilage.MethodA total of 366 patients with knee ACL rupture were divided into the following six groups based on the time span from the initial injury to ACL reconstruction: (1) < 1.5 months; (2) between 1.5 and three months; (3) between three and six months; (4) between six and 12 months; (5) between 12 and 24 months, and (6) > 24 months. During ACL reconstruction, impairment of meniscal or chondral integrity was systematically documented.ResultsOf the 366 patients involved in this study, meniscal and chondral damage were found in 223 (60.9%) and 75 (20.5%) patients, respectively. In addition, the incidence of medial meniscal and chondral damage was significantly increased when ACL reconstruction was delayed. The incidence of medial meniscal and chondral damage was found to be 6.1 and 9.9 times higher in patients with a time from initial injury (TFI) of > 24 months than those with a TFI of < 1.5 months, respectively.ConclusionIn this study, correlations between secondary damage to the menisci and/or the articular cartilage and time after initial injury were found in Chinese population. Our data suggested that ACL reconstruction should be performed as early as possible after ACL rupture to avoid secondary meniscal and/or chondral damage. It is recommended that the best time range for ACL reconstruction is between four and six weeks after initial injury.