THURSDAY, Oct. 7 (HealthDayNews) -- Young women athletes who suffer tearing of the anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) -- the ligament in the knee that provides stability -- face a serious risk of potentially crippling knee osteoarthritis (OA) when they're older, says a Swedish study in the October issue of Arthritis & Rheumatism.

The study included 103 women soccer players, aged 26 to 40, who each suffered an ACL injury 12 years earlier. Radiographs were taken of the women's previously injured knees and the women also filled out questionnaires about their knee-related quality of life.

More than half the women had OA of the knee, which caused them persistent pain and limited their use of the knee. The study also found that 60 percent of the women had undergone reconstructive surgery of the torn ACL soon after it was injured. But that surgery had no significant effect on the knee pain or disabling symptoms currently experienced by the women.

The study authors noted that current surgical methods for repairing a torn ACL may be more effective in preventing OA, but that has yet to be proven in scientific studies.

The high prevalence of OA among these women is alarming and had serious implications for their future, lead researcher Dr. L. S. Lohmander said in a prepared statement.

"For many of these women, the OA disease process can be expected to progress over time and the need for an osteotomy or knee arthroplasty may arise well before the age of 50 years in many of these subjects," Lohmander said.

"Although joint replacement may be an efficient treatment for knee OA, the risk of aseptic implant loosening and revision is more than threefold higher in the patients operated on while younger than age 65 years, than if older than 75 years."

The study findings emphasize the need for improved prevention and treatment of ACL injuries among young female athletes. Women soccer players are much more likely than their male counterparts to suffer an ACL injury.

More information

The American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons has more about preventing ACL injuries in women.