Original broadcast date: September 6, 2009

Injuries are unfortunately part of the risk of participating in sporting activities. For adults, there seems to be a specific treatment pathway for various types of injuries but for children, questions remain about its management.

One such injury is an anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) tear. A study presented at the American Orthopaedic Society for Sports Medicine’s (AOSSM) Annual Meeting in Keystone, Colorado, (July 9-12) details the benefits and risks of repairing a torn anterior cruciate ligament in young athletes under the age of 14.

• Dr. Theodore Ganley, Director of the Sports Medicine and Performance Center for The Children’s Hospital of Pennsylvania and the University of Pennsylvania School of Medicine and Associate professor of Orthopaedic Surgery, University of Pennsylvania School of Medicine