Efficacy and safety of early versus delayed reconstruction for anterior cruciate ligament injuries: A systematic review and meta-analysis

Objective To critically evaluate the efficacy and safety of early versus delayed anterior cruciate ligament reconstruction (ACLR) for anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) injuries based on the different cut-off values of the timing of operation. Methods PubMed, Medline, Embase, Cochrane library, China National Knowledge Infrastructure, Chinese Biomedical Literature, and Wanfang Digital Periodical database were searched from inception to November 2022 without language restrictions. Randomized controlled trials (RCTs) and cohort studies (CSs) comparing early ACLR with delayed ACLR for ACL injuries were included. Results Twenty-four studies (10 RCTs and 14 CSs) were included. According to the information from included studies, 3 weeks, 4 weeks, 6 weeks, 6 months, and 12 months after ACL injuries were considered as the cut-off values of early and delayed ACLR. When 4 weeks were considered as the cut-off value, early ACLR could significantly improve Lysholm score, IKDC score and VAS score at 6 and 12 months postoperatively and decrease the incidence of adverse events compared with delayed ACLR (P < 0.05). However, no statistically significant difference in positive rate of Lachman test and incidence of meniscus injuries and chondral lesions between the two groups when 3 weeks, 6 weeks, 6 months or 12 months after ACL injuries were considered as the cut-off values of early and delayed ACLR (P > 0.05). Conclusion The present study suggests that early ACLR, especially conducted within 3–4 weeks after ACL injuries, may be more effective for improving knee function and relieving pain compared with delayed ACLR. More high-quality RCTs are warranted.