ACL reconstructions appear to be on the rise. The total number of ACL reconstruction procedures increased significantly during a study period from 86,687 in 1994 to 129,836 in 2006. The percentage of ACL reconstructions performed in an outpatient setting increased from 43% to 95% of the total ACL reconstructions between 1994 and 2006.
This increasing trend holds true for patients younger than 20 years as well. The number of ACL reconstructions performed in the United States among this age group increased from 12.22 per 100,000 persons in 1994 to 17.97 per 100,000 persons in 2006. Similarly, the number of ACL reconstructions performed in those 40 years or older increased over the time period studied, from 1.65 per 100,000 persons in 1994 to 7.57 per 100,000 persons in 2006.
The number of ACL reconstructions performed in females increased significantly from 1994 to 2006, increasing from 32% to 42% of the total number of ACL reconstructions performed in the United States.
-Source: American Journal of Sports Medicine, published online August 1, 2014
