Researchers collected data on 354 consecutive patients who were under the age of 20 when they underwent their first primary hamstring tendon 
autograft ACL reconstruction. They sought to determine the rates of graft rupture and injury to the opposite knee’s ACL in younger athletes. Furthermore, they wanted to learn the effect of gender and age on the risk of subsequent ACL injury.
It was determined early graft ruptures were more prevalent in patients who underwent surgery when they were younger than 18 years versus those in the 18- to 19-year age group. Males had higher rates of graft rupture than did females, with the youngest males (under 18 years) at the highest risk. Almost half (47%) occurred within the first postoperative year, and 74% occurred within the first 2 years. The highest graft rupture rate of 28.3% was in the youngest males (under 18 years), and this was significantly higher than in females of the same age (12.9%), as well as in male patients older than 18 years (13.8%).
Source: American Journal of Sports Medicine, published online July 7, 2016
