An orthopedics professor at Harvard Medical School has reviewed data and determined that the chance of getting arthritis within a decade of tearing a tendon or ligament in the knee is greater than 50 percent.
While the paper is not yet published, but is slated to be soon, the findings were presented in an article in the New York Times.
While this information is limited to tears of ligaments in the knee, which are typically surgically repaired, the point of the article makes for interesting questions about the seriousness of ligament tears in other parts of the body as well. It is not uncommon for car accident victims to have tears in their ligaments in the neck area, which often result in longer recovery times and more treatment. If these ligament tears, likewise, result in long term arthritic changes, then what might otherwise be considered a short term soft tissue injury, could also result in a life time of pain and limitation in the decades that follow the initial recovery period.
Weiner & Lambka, PS takes care to keep up with the latest medical developments associated with our clients’ injuries, including soft tissue, whiplash type injuries. If you have a question or concern about your car accident injuries, please consult our website and feel free to contact us for a free discussion regarding your case.
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