2024 AANA/ISAKOS Specialty Day All-Access Pass-13-Year-Old Soccer Player With Open Growth Plates Who Hopes to Play at University Discussion & Voting

13-Year-Old Soccer Player With Open Growth Plates Who Hopes to Play at University Discussion & Voting

Video Transcription

Video Summary

In a discussion on ACL reconstruction in pediatric patients, experts debated techniques based on age and physeal status. For younger kids (around 9 years), all-epiphyseal or hybrid methods are preferred; by 13, many lean toward transphyseal with anatomical graft placement, emphasizing minimal angle changes and smaller grafts. LET (Lateral Extra-articular Tenodesis) is often added, especially with hamstring grafts, to improve outcomes and delay return to sport. Graft size should be individualized and matched to patient anatomy, rejecting the rigid “8mm” standard. Both emphasized anatomical accuracy over adjusting tunnel angles, with attention to avoiding physeal damage.

Keywords

Pediatric ACL reconstruction

All-epiphyseal technique

Transphyseal graft placement

Lateral Extra-articular Tenodesis (LET)

Individualized graft sizing