LONGITUDINAL CHANGE IN THE PREVALENCE OF EARLY KNEE OSTEOARTHRITIS SYMPTOMS ACROSS VARIOUS TIME-PERIODS AFTER ANTERIOR CRUCIATE LIGAMENT RECONSTRUCTION

Abstract

Purpose: One-third of patients present with radiographic knee osteoarthritis (OA) within a decade after anterior cruciate ligament injury and reconstruction (ACLR). Prior to the development of radiographic OA, patients likely experience persistent, clinically relevant symptoms that may be indicative of early OA. We recently reported that a high prevalence (54%, n=306) of patients meet a self-reported classification criteria of early knee OA symptoms at ∼6 months post-ACLR. The presence of symptoms at 6 months post-ACLR are often interpreted as post-surgical symptoms that will eventually resolve, but these symptoms may represent early OA symptoms that will persist for years after surgery.