Management after acute injury of the anterior cruciate ligament (ACL), part 2: management of the ACL-injured patient

Purpose: The aim of this consensus project was to create a treatment algorithm for the management of the ACL-injured patient which can serve as an aid in a shared decision-making process. Methods: For this consensus process, a steering and a rating group were formed. In an initial face-to-face meeting, the steering group, together with the expert group, formed various key topic complexes for which various questions were formulated. For each key topic, a structured literature search was performed by the steering group. The results of the literature review were sent to the rating group with the option to give anonymous comments until a final consensus voting was performed. Sufficient consensus was defined as 80% agreement. Results: During this consensus process, 15 key questions were identified. The literature search for each key question resulted in 24 final statements. Of these 24 final statements, all achieved consensus. Conclusions: This consensus process has shown that ACL rupture is a complex injury, and the outcome depends to a large extent on the frequently concomitant injuries (meniscus and/or cartilage damage). These additional injuries as well as various patient-specific factors should play a role in the treatment decision. The present treatment algorithm represents a decision aid within the framework of a shared decision-making process for the ACL-injured patient. Level of evidence: Level V.