ASR Seminar ACL Tears, Reconstruction and Healing Speaker: Ashley Mastrangelo, MS

1. ASR SeminarACL Tears, Reconstruction and HealingSpeaker: Ashley Mastrangelo, MS Day: Friday March 12, 2010 Time: 1:15-2:15 pm, A block Place: Auditorium Ruptures of the anterior cruciate ligament of the knee affect over 175,000 patients every year, including an estimated 38,000 high school students. These injuries are devastating as patients who sustain an ACL tear have a 78% risk of osteoarthritis at only 14 yrs out from their injury whether they undergo surgical reconstruction or not. Better solutions for healing of these tissues are needed. Current Treatment of ACL tears includes ACL reconstruction, but rates of failure of healing, even with surgical repair, range from 40 to 100%. Our work has focused on new ways to treat this important injury focusing on trying to get the ligament to heal after injury, rather than treating it with a replacement using a collagen and platelet mixture. Dr. Mastrangelo is a part of a research group at Children’s hospital focusing primarily on reparations and healing of ACL tears. This lecture will focus on the importance of the anterior cruciate ligament as it pertains to athletes, and our current methods for improving the tissue after a tear.We hope you can join us! Students will need an in-school field trip form to attend, with permission from their A block teacher.