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Knee injuries

Non-Operative Treatment of Anterior Cruciate Ligament Injuries: Two-Thirds Avoid Surgery at 2-Year Follow-Up in Nationwide Cohort

Strategic Insights

— 1 min read

A study conducted by researchers from Akershus University Hospital has provided new insights into the treatment of anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) injuries. The nationwide cohort study, which spanned from 2017 to 2023, aimed to describe the population of ACL injured patients initially managed non-operatively, quantify the proportion undergoing delayed ACL reconstruction (ACLR), and describe intraoperative findings and patient-reported outcomes. The study found that two-thirds of patients avoided surgery at 2-year follow-up, with similar Knee injury and Osteoarthritis Outcome Score (KOOS) scores between non-operative and delayed ACLR patients.

Key Takeaways:

  • The study included 485 patients with a mean age at injury of 35 (12) years, with 25% being female.
  • The patients were prospectively registered in the Norwegian Knee Ligament Register from 2017 to 2023.
  • Two-thirds of patients avoided surgery at 2-year follow-up, with the remaining third undergoing delayed ACLR.
  • The treatment survival was analyzed using Kaplan-Meier curves, and factors associated with ACLR were assessed with Cox regression.
  • The study found similar KOOS scores between non-operative and delayed ACLR patients.
  • The research has been peer-reviewed and published in the British Journal of Sports Medicine.

Statistics:

  • 485 patients were included in the study with a mean age at injury of 35 (12) years.
  • 25% of the patients were female.
  • Two-thirds of patients avoided surgery at 2-year follow-up.
  • The study used Kaplan-Meier curves to analyze treatment survival.
  • Cox regression was used to assess factors associated with ACLR.

Sources:

  • British Journal of Sports Medicine (2025) - groupId: group.bmj.com/, publicationId: BJS000202,
  • NewsRx (2025) - "Researchers from Akershus University Hospital Provide Details of New Studies and Findings in the Area of Medical Devices and Surgical Technology (Non-operative treatment of anterior cruciate ligament injuries: two-thirds avoid surgery at 2-year ...)" - Medical Devices & Surgical Technology Week, November 2, 2025; p 1750.

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