CC2023: Early and Delayed Surgery for Isolated ACL and Multiligamentous Knee Injuries Have Equivalent Results: A Systematic Review and Meta-analysis (March 2023)-Early and Delayed Surgery for Isolated ACL and Multiligamentous Knee Injuries Have Equivalent Results: A Systematic Review and Meta-analysis (March 2023)

Early and Delayed Surgery for Isolated ACL and Multiligamentous Knee Injuries Have Equivalent Results: A Systematic Review and Meta-analysis (March 2023)

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This systematic review with meta-analysis examined the advantages of early versus delayed surgery for patients undergoing isolated anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) or multiligamentous knee surgery. The study included 16 studies with a total of 2,093 patients for isolated ACL surgery and 14 studies with 1,172 patients for multiligamentous knee surgery. The analysis found that there were no differences in clinical and functional outcomes between early and delayed surgery for isolated ACL injuries. Similarly, for multiligamentous knee injuries, there were no differences in surgical outcomes between early and delayed surgery. <br /><br />The review also found that early surgery did not increase the risk of postoperative stiffness or range of motion deficits for both isolated ACL and multiligamentous knee injuries. Additionally, early surgery was associated with significantly fewer meniscal and chondral injuries in multiligamentous knee injuries. However, the difference in functional outcomes between early and delayed surgery was not clinically significant.<br /><br />The study highlights the potential advantages of early surgery, such as reduced risk of further meniscal and chondral injuries and shorter sick leave. Early surgery may also be more cost-effective as it can lead to a faster recovery period. However, there are disadvantages to consider, such as the potential overtreatment of patients who may not actually require surgery and the lack of psychological preparation for surgery in early-treated patients.<br /><br />Overall, this study suggests that early surgery for isolated ACL and multiligamentous knee injuries can be performed safely without compromising clinical and functional outcomes. However, further research is needed to confirm these findings and to assess the long-term outcomes of early versus delayed surgery.

Keywords

systematic review

early surgery

delayed surgery

ACL

multiligamentous knee surgery

clinical outcomes

meniscal injuries

chondral injuries

reduced risk

long-term outcomes