Editorial Commentary: Age-Appropriate Expectations Are Critical When Analyzing Knee Anterior Cruciate Ligament Reconstruction Outcomes: Age Is More Than Just a Number.

Abstract

In patients undergoing anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) reconstruction, age affects treatment and postoperative recovery decisions, as well as failure rates and outcomes. However, how age affects postoperative patient-reported outcomes and the appropriateness of using the International Knee Documentation Committee patient acceptable symptoms state score in the >40-year-old patient population has received little attention. This study assesses commonly used patient-reported outcomes in older patients undergoing ACL reconstruction and aims to redefine a more suitable patient acceptable symptoms state score for this patient population. As our understanding of both the importance of ACL reconstruction on knee biomechanics and joint stability, as well as the increased rate of ACL reconstruction in older patients grows, having age-appropriate outcomes expectations is critical to both counseling patients and developing future research aims. Future application of outcomes scores in clinical practice and in the research, arena must take into account patient age and function after ACL reconstruction.