Effectiveness of double-bundle anterior cruciate ligament reconstruction combined with anterolateral ligament reconstruction for revision

Abstract

To investigate the effectiveness of double-bundle anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) reconstruction combined with anterolateral ligament (ALL) reconstruction in the treatment of revision patients with ACL graft failure. Between January 2018 and June 2019, 15 patients underwent ACL revision with double-bundle ACL reconstruction combined with ALL reconstruction. There were 12 males and 3 females with an average age of 30.1 years (range, 17-49 years). The technique of primary ACL reconstruction included single-bundle reconstruction in 13 cases and double-bundle reconstruction in 2 cases. These reconstructions applied autografts in 14 cases and allograft in 1 case. The causes of ACL reconstruction failure were identified as traumatic rupture in 9 cases and non-traumatic failure in 6 cases, including 2 cases of graft absorption and 3 cases of graft laxity. The average time from the primary ACL reconstruction to revision was 28.5 months (range, 8-60 months). The subjective and objective indicators of knee joint function were compared before operation and at last follow-up to evaluate the effectiveness. The subjective indicators included International Knee Documentation Committee (IKDC) score, Lysholm score, and Tegner score. The objective indicators included anterior tibial translation (dynamic and static) and side-to-side difference (SSD), pivot-shift test, Lachman test, the difference of single-legged hop test, and the loss ratio of extensor muscle strength on the affected side. All incisions healed by first intetion, and no complications such as infection, venous thrombosis of lower extremity, or neurovascular injury occurred. All patients were followed up for an average of 19.1 months (range, 12-30 months). At last follow-up, all patients had returned to pre-injury sports level. The IKDC score, Lysholm score, and Tegner score were significantly improved ( P<0.05); anterior tibial translations (dynamic and static) significantly decreased when compared with preoperative one ( P<0.05) and returned to the physiological range. The SSD, Lachman test, pivot-shift test, the difference of single-legged hop test, and the loss ratio of extensor muscle strength on the affected side were significantly better than those before operation ( P<0.05).During the follow-up, there was no re-rupture of the graft, no stiffness of the knee joint and limitation of mobility; 1 case had a protruding femoral end compression screw, which was removed through the original incision under local anesthesia. Double-bundle ACL reconstruction combined with ALL reconstruction can significantly improve the knee function in revision patients with ACL graft failure. It can reduce the anterior translation of tibia, and effectively prevent postoperative rotational instability of the knee.