Young adult patients (mean age = 26.5 years) who underwent anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) reconstruction and then exhibited lower patellofemoral joint (PFJ) loading during hopping were found to be at a higher risk for PFJ osteoarthritis, according to a study published by Scache et al in the Journal of Orthopaedic Research. Risk of PFJ osteoarthritis at 1 year after reconstruction was increased by 37% for every one body weight decrease in peak contact force during the hopping test; using the same metric, risk of worsening PFJ osteoarthritis between 1 and 5 years postreconstruction increased by 55%. The study authors concluded, “Monitoring indices of PFJ loading during relevant functional tasks as early as possible after ACL reconstruction might represent an opportunity to identify those at greatest risk of developing end-stage PFJ osteoarthritis.”
May 25, 2023