ArticleJournal of orthopaedic research : official publication of the Orthopaedic Research Society2022
Age- and sex-specific differences in ACL and ACL bundle size during adolescent growth.
Article in Journal of orthopaedic research : official publication of the Orthopaedic Research Society, 2022. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 8 papers.
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Who cites it
8 citing papers in PubMed, 14 citations in OpenAlex.
- Understanding Anterior Cruciate Ligament Adaptation: Structural, Mechanical, and Healing Considerations.Sports medicine (Auckland, N.Z.) · 2026Review
- Pediatric ACL Injuries: A Current Concepts Review.Journal of clinical medicine · 2026Review
- Age-Related Increases in Graft Tendon Size and Stiffness During Skeletal Growth Enhance Anterior Cruciate Ligament Graft Function and Joint Stability in an Early Adolescent Porcine Model.Journal of biomechanical engineering · 2026Article
- Physeal-sparing anterior cruciate ligament reconstruction in an early adolescent porcine model provides better anterior stability but similar tissue function compared to a juvenile porcine model.Clinical biomechanics (Bristol, Avon) · 2025Article
- Physeal-sparing anterior cruciate ligament reconstruction provides better initial joint biomechanics than complete transphyseal reconstruction in an early adolescent porcine model.Journal of experimental orthopaedics · 2025Article
- Neo-Natal Castration Leads to Subtle Differences in Porcine Anterior Cruciate Ligament Morphology and Function in Adolescence.Journal of biomechanical engineering · 2024Article
- Preclinical tendon and ligament models: Beyond the 3Rs (replacement, reduction, and refinement) to 5W1H (why, who, what, where, when, how).Journal of orthopaedic research : official publication of the Orthopaedic Research Society · 2023Review
- Three-dimensional magnetic resonance imaging analysis shows sex-specific patterns in changes in anterior cruciate ligament cross-sectional area along its length.Journal of orthopaedic research : official publication of the Orthopaedic Research Society · 2023Article
Corrections and comments
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Authors and funding
6 authors at 3 institutions in 1 country.
Funding
Abstract
Anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) injuries are increasingly common in adolescents, and injuries in this age-group are associated with many unique challenges. Recent large animal studies suggest that the size and function of the major bundles of the ACL change differently throughout skeletal growth. To better aid clinical treatment of pediatric partial ACL tears and better predict outcomes from age-specific treatments, there is a need to measure changes in ACL bundle size in humans during growth. As such, the objective of this study was to compare changes in the length and cross-sectional area (CSA) of the ACL and its primary bundles in adolescent human subjects. Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) scans were analyzed to determine the visibility and integrity of the ACL and its anteromedial and posterolateral bundles. MRI scans were considered from a retrospective database of subjects ranging from 10 to 18 years of age. The ACL and its anteromedial and posterolateral bundles were segmented and reconstructed into 3D models, and length and CSA were calculated. Total ACL length and CSA were greater in males compared with females, with a statistically significant interaction between age and sex for CSA. Sex had a significant effect on the CSA of both bundles. These sex-dependent differences emerge with moderate to large effect sizes (range: d = 0.50 to d = 1.23) beginning around 13 years of age. Along with ACL bundle structure-function relationships previously established in preclinical animal models, these findings may point toward biomechanical changes in the adolescent human ACL.
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Registered trials
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