D. Dillon

M. Dyck

The reconstruction of ACL tears in the paediatric population has been controversial. Some authors in the past have advocated for nonoperative management until skeletal maturity due to the potential risk of growth arrest. Others have been proponents of operative reconstruction given the natural history of a paediatric ACL deficient knee mirrors the adult population with repeated instability and ongoing meniscal pathology. Our retrospective review of 20 patients over a two year period who underwent a hamstring autograft ACL reconstruction with a transphyseal technique is presented. The patients were evaluated with both objective (Scanogram, physical exam and KT-1000 measurements) and subjective (Mohtadi score) examinations. All patients had reached skeletal maturity at the time of follow-up. No patient demonstrated significant leg length discrepancy or mal-alignment. Physical exam and Kt-1000 measurements demonstrated mild laxity compared to the contralateral knee. Mohtadi scores were lower than expected. We conclude that transphyseal reconstruction is an acceptable procedure provided care is taken to avoid the placement of hardware across the physis.