Researchers looked at various aspects of the injury, including how much and where the ligament was torn, how the tear occurred, the surrounding damage and previous injuries and surgery on the knee. The results suggest that reconstructive surgery potentially is the best treatment for tears of 50 percent or more for people whose knees are exposed to twisting stress in sports such as soccer and football. The ligament may look like a significant amount is intact and functional, but the remaining segment could be structurally and microscopically damaged. Most older people, however, and even younger people who don't participate in high-risk activities may not need surgery even in these cases. Surgical reconstruction for torn anterior cruciate ligaments is common in some professional and collegiate sports and has been shown to restore much of an injured knee's strength and stability.
Ligaments are tough, fibrous bands of tissue that bind bone ends together.
The Hospital for Special Surgery in New York City funded the study.