Clinical outcome of tibial spine ACL avulsion fracture in adults treated with suture bridge fixation

Abstract

Introduction: Anterior cruciate ligament avulsion from the tibia with a bony fragment of the tibial spine is an uncommon injury of the knee joint. These are predominantly seen in children and young adults. Arthroscopic reduction and fixation of the tibial avulsion fracture is a technically demanding procedure as restoring the ACL length and tension during fixation is important to ensure stability of the knee while maintaining range of motion and minimal knee laxity. The purpose of the study was to evaluate the outcome of Arthroscopic Suture bridge fixation of tibial spine anterior cruciate ligament avulsion fractures. Materials and Methods: We followed up seven patients prospectively after Arthroscopic suture bridge fixation. The patients were assessed with clinical examination, Tegner Lysholm and IKDC (International Knee Documentation Committee) knee scores. The study group consisted of 5 males and 2 females with a mean age of 24.28 years (Range 18 years to 32 years). Mean follow-up time was 28.7 months (range 24 to 36 months). The study included 4 type II and 3 type III Meyer and McKeever fractures. Results: At follow-up the mean Tegner lysholm score was 91.28. The best results were seen in younger patients. Younger patients had significantly better score for IKDC functional and final scores. Conclusion: Displaced tibial spine avulsion fractures can be successfully treated in younger and older patients using arthroscopic suture bridge fixation with most patients returning back to preinjury levels of activity. Keywords: Arthroscopy, Tibial fractures, Avulsion, Anterior cruciate ligament injuries, Fracture fixation internal.