Multi-ligament injures of the knee: does the age matter? A long-term retrospective study.

Background. The aim of this large retrospective long-term study was to investigate if age can be considered as prognostic factor for inferior outcomes after treatment of multi-ligament injuries of the knee. Methods. A retrospective study of the long-term outcomes of patients (n = 89) treated with multi-ligament injured knees was performed. Four age groups (< or > 28 years at injury and < or > 41 years at follow-up) were investigated. The visual analogue scale (pain and satisfaction), Lysholm score, Tegner score, Knee Society Score, SF-36 health questionnaire, cruciate ligament laxity by KT-1000, IKDC2000, need for workers' compensation, conventional and stress radiographs were assessed. Pearson correlations and t-tests were used to test for differences between the groups (p < 0.05). Results. Sixty-eight patients with a follow-up of 12 ± 8 years showed no significant difference with regards to age groups at follow-up in the total SF-36 health questionnaire, the VAS pain, VAS satisfaction, the total Knee Society score, the Tegner score (before, after and relative), the need for workers' compensation and the change of occupation. Conclusion. This study showed no significant correlation between the age of patients at injury and the outcomes after multi-ligament knee injuries. It seems that other factors such as injury pattern are more important factors for outcomes after multi-ligament knee injuries than age. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]