Is that old knee injury keeping you from living your active lifestyle? Age is often considered a relative contraindication for knee ligament surgery, specifically reconstruction of anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) tears. At the American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons 75th Annual Meeting last weak, researchers from the Mayo Clinic reported that baby boomers who undergo ACL surgery are nearly as likely to return to pre-injury activity levels as much younger people.

By the year 2010, there will be nearly 40 million adults over the age of 65 in the United States. Many of these baby boomers want to continue leading active lifestyles, increasing the risk of ACL injuries. After following the recovery of 34 patients between the ages of 50 and 66 for approximately four years after ACL surgery, the researchers found that over 80% of the patients reported normal or near-normal activity levels and were able to return to playing sports.

Although these findings suggest that age limitations for ACL reconstruction shouldn't be rigid, other factors, such as the risk of arthritis and the presence of other medical conditions, still need to be considered before making the decision to proceed with surgery.