Abstract
Purpose: The aim of the study was to evaluate whether the recognition rates of ACL injuries had improved in the decade following the original paper published by the senior author.
Methods: Prospective data collection using a standard questionnaire on all patients presenting to a dedicated soft tissue knee injury clinic. There were 103 patients with a median age of 31.
Results: 94 out of the 103 patients gave a typical history of an ACL injury. The mean time to referral to this specialist clinic was 92 weeks. The commonest mechanism of ACL injuries was sports (88/103), with soccer making up the vast majority. The correct diagnosis was made by 13% of A& E staff, 30% of GPs and 57% of Orthopaedic surgeons.
Of the 11 patients who had an arthroscopy, 4 were told that they had an ACL injury. None of the 15 who had an MRI scan were told that they had an ACL injury.
Conclusion: Despite the increasing incidence and changes in management, there appears to have been very little improvement in the detection of the ACL injured knee in the last 10 years.
Correspondence should be addressed to Mr Tim Wilton, BASK at the Royal College of Surgeons, 35–43 Lincoln’s Inn Fields, London WC2A 3PE.
