Women sustain more second anterior cruciate ligament injuries than men after primary ACL reconstruction, according to a study in International Journal of Sports Physical Therapy.
Researchers conducted a systematic review and meta-analysis of articles reporting the number or percentage of sex, graft type, ipsilateral graft and contralateral ACL injuries after primary ACL reconstruction.
Here are three things to know:
1. The pooled rate of second ACL injuries, including ipsilateral graft and contralateral ACL, was 6.11 percent. Ipsilateral graft injuries are more common than contralateral ACL injuries, with ipsilateral graft injuries occurring nearly 16 months earlier after primary ACL reconstruction.
2. Men had a 5.67 percent rate of second ACL injuries compared to 6.84 percent for women.
3. Men had a significantly higher rate of ipsilateral graft injuries — 3.40 percent — compared to 2.26 percent of female patients.