[Problems of fresh rupture of the anterior cruciate ligament]

The importance of the anterior cruciate ligament as a part of the central pivot and the necessity of reconstruction in cases of fresh rupture is pointed out. In 400 arthroscopies of the knee joint we found 69 old ruptures of the anterior cruciate ligament. This number shows that a rupture of the anterior cruciate ligament is often not diagnosed early. In 28 fresh cases of knee joint trauma with haemarthrosis and without clinical or radiological instability arthroscopy was performed within 7 days after trauma. There was a fresh rupture of the anterior cruciate ligament in 20 cases. Haemarthrosis was the leading clinical sign in all cases of fresh ruptures.