Five-year results of conservatively treated tears of the anterior cruciate ligament.

Follow-up examinations of 35 patients with an arthroscopically confirmed isolated fresh tear of the anterior cruciate ligament were conducted after an average period of 5 years. After arthroscopy and immobilization of the knee in a plaster cast for 2 weeks, all 35 patients had been conservatively treated with neurophysiological physical therapy. Twenty-four of the tears were complete; the remaining 11 were partial. The results of the follow-up examination are based on subjective scores (O'Donoghue score, Lysholm score), an objective score (objective O'Donoghue score) and clinical examination. With the partial tears, good to satisfactory results were achieved, and surgery was needed less often. In these patients, it was largely possible to maintain the original level of athletic performance. Those patients with complete, isolated tears generally had satisfactory to poor results on the objective scores. There was a high rate of revision surgery, especially in the case of meniscus tears, and they were largely unable to regain their original level of athletic performance.