Abstract
ABSTRACTObjective:To determine a relationship between smoking, alcohol abuse and anabolic steroids and meniscoligamentous injuries.Methods:A total of 239 patients underwent surgical treatment of isolated anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) lesion, ACL associated with meniscal injury and isolated meniscal injury, and were inquired by a single team of surgeons about their habits: smoking, alcoholism and use of artificial anabolic agents. In addition, quality of life was assessed using the SF-36 questionnaire.Results:It was not possible to establish a direct relationship between habits and meniscal and ligamentous injuries, despite the finding that patients with ACL-associated lesions were more frequently smokers, and that patients with isolated meniscal injuries used more artificial anabolic agents. Regarding quality of life, there were no statistical differences in the habits between the groups; however, except for smokers with isolated meniscal injury, all patients who did not have the habits analyzed presented a better score in the SF-36 questionnaire.Conclusion:There were no significant findings correlating smoking, alcohol abuse and artificial anabolic agents with the presence of injuries. In addition, six months after the surgical treatment, there was no difference in the quality of life between the groups evaluated. Level of Evidence III, Prospective case series.
Highlights
The most commonly injured structures of the knee are the anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) and the menisci, generally affecting active young individuals
A total of 239 patients underwent surgical treatment of isolated anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) lesion, ACL associated with meniscal injury and isolated meniscal injury, and were inquired by a single team of surgeons about their habits: smoking, alcoholism and use of artificial anabolic agents
107 patients had an isolated ACL injury, 72 an ACL tear associated with the meniscal injury, and 60 cases had an isolated meniscal injury
Summary
The most commonly injured structures of the knee are the anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) and the menisci, generally affecting active young individuals. The ACL is an important primary stabilizer, whose main function is to restrict the anteriorization and internal rotation of the tibia.. The menisci consist of fibrocartilaginous structures composed mainly of type I collagen, whose most important functions are as follows: load transmission, increase in joint conformity and synovial fluid distribution. It is evident that injuries to such structures cause functional deficits or painful conditions.. It is known that there are several predisposing factors for injury involving these structures. A number of studies have correlated a higher incidence of ACL tears to patients’ intrinsic characteristics, such as intercondylar fossa stenosis and female sex.. A number of studies have correlated a higher incidence of ACL tears to patients’ intrinsic characteristics, such as intercondylar fossa stenosis and female sex. Some
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