If left untreated, anterior cruciate ligament injury can be debilitating

According to a study, anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) injury, a form of a knee injury that occurs most often during sports, is growing more common in children and teenagers. When surgery is advised for adolescents and teenagers with ACL injuries, the procedure should be performed as soon as possible. However, children and teenagers whose parents speak a language other than English are twice as likely to have postponed surgery. The findings of the study were published in the journal Clinical Orthopaedics and Related Research. ACL tears are painful, and left untreated, they can be debilitating. When surgery is called for--as usually is the case for young athletes--most surgeons believe it should be performed within a month or two of the injury. Longer delays may result in additional, irreparable knee damage.