Related Experiment Video
Updated: Jun 25, 2025
Surgical Retrieval, Isolation and In vitro Expansion of Human Anterior Cruciate Ligament-derived Cells for Tissue Engineering Applications
Published on: April 30, 2014
Pediatric ACL Reconstruction in Children-An Evaluation of the Transphyseal Technique's Efficacy and Safety
Alexandru Herdea1,2, Mihai-Codrut Dragomirescu2, Valentin Burcan2
111th Department of Pediatric Orthopedics, "Carol Davila" University of Medicine and Pharmacy, Bd. Eroii Sanitari Nr. 8, 050474 Bucharest, Romania.
Introduction:
Injuries of the anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) are commonly found in the general population, both among adult and pediatric patients, and their incidence has been increasing in recent years. Most of the late literature agrees that surgical reconstruction of the ACL is effective in improving long-term outcomes in pediatric patients, while others in the past have pleaded for non-surgical management.
Purpose/Hypothesis:
Our study aims to verify if ACL reconstruction (ACLR) using transphyseal technique in skeletally immature patients will provide angular deviations or growth restrictions.
Study Design:
Retrospective cohort study; Level of evidence 4.
Methods:
We perfomed a retrospective study to verify if transphyseal ACLR in children with less than or equal to 2 years of remaining growth leads to either limb length discrepancies or axis deviations.
Results:
Most patients who were treated using transphyseal technique showed significant improvements in their functional scores. There were statistically significant differences in lateral distal femoral angles (LDFA) and medial proximal tibial angles (MPTA), with no clinical impact. There was no significant limb length discrepancy (LLD) during the 2-year follow-up.
Conclusions:
Transphyseal ACLR is safe among children who have less than or equal to 2 years of remaining growth and brings no risk of axis deviations or limb length discrepancy.
