Functional outcome of anterior cruciate ligament reconstruction in Saudi patients at Western Region

Abstract

Introduction: Anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) is an integral stabilizing structure of the knee. Rupture of the ACL impairs the stability of the knee leading to difficulty with athletic performance and increasing the risk of subsequent meniscal injury. It accounts for 50% of all knee ligaments injuries. ACL reconstruction (ACLR) is the gold-standard treatment to restore the stability of the knee and improve the function. We aimed to assess the functional outcomes of the ACLR in Western area of Saudi Arabia. Materials and Methods: One hundred and four patients who had ACLR between 2014 and 2016 in King Fahad Armed Forces Hospital, Jeddah, had participated in this study by filling a self-administer questionnaire. Oxford Knee Score consisting of 12 questions is a valid and sensitive tool to assess the function and pain after ACLR. Results: One hundred and three male (99%) and one female (1%) were included in the study with a mean age of 34.92 (standard deviation [SD] of 8.3) years and mean body mass index of 27.69 (SD of 4.74) kg/m2. Sixty-five of them had results suggestive of satisfactory joint function (61.9%), 32 had results suggestive of mild-to-moderate knee pain (30.5%), 6 of had moderate-to-severe knee pain (5.7%), and only one had a result of severe knee pain. The most common difficulties claimed by the participants, rated 1 or 2 in the score are: persistent pain (16 out of 104, 15.4%), pain with kneeling (14 out of 104, 13.5%), usual daily chores (10 out of 104, 9.6%), and knee pain at night (9 out of 104, 8.6%). Conclusion: Majority of the participants were satisfied with the ACLR representing more than 60% of patients. On the other hand, out of 104 participants, only one had the worst outcome representing < 1% of the sample size.