Lawson study a breakthrough for ACL injuries

Research improving outcomes in ACL injuries Even once fixed ACL injuries can become a recurring problem, but as CTV London’s Celine Moreau reports, new research may help.

A new study from the Lawson Health Research Institute has found a way to reduce the risk of re-injury for those who have had ACL tears repaired by surgery.

ACL tears, a severe injury to the knee, can be devastating to young athletes and their careers, and while they can be repaired through surgery the risk for re-injury is 20 per cent for patients under 25 years of age.

After the largest clinical trial of its kind, researchers are Lawson have shown that performing an additional procedure can reduce that risk.

The procedure is called lateral extra-articular tenodesis or LET.

Currently ACL tears are repaired by grafts from parts of the patient’s body and have a high risk of tearing again. LET is the creation of new ligament-like structure outside of the knee to provide additional support.

The trial included 624 participants from across Canada and Europe. About 11 per cent of patients who received normal ACL repairs suffered re-injuries, versus only four per cent who also had the LET surgery.