Functional Outcomes for Combined Acute Anterior and Posterior Cruciate Knee Injuries Treated Non-Operatively

Abstract

Introduction: results after non-operative management for knees sustaining combined acute anterior and posterior cruciate ligament tears were presented. Subjects: 13 patients, 10 with medial, and 3 with lateral ligament injury. Methods: non-operative management consisted of employing a brace to prevent sagittal translation of the tibia. Quadriceps muscle and early passive knee motion exercises in the brace was encouraged immediately after arthroscopy. Weight-bearing was forbidden for 3 weeks. The brace was not removed for 3 months. Follow-up periods ranged from 2 to 6 years (mean, 3 years 2 months). Results: none, but one patient had a slight restriction of knee flexion. Quadriceps muscle strength revealed an average of 89.0% of normal side. The knee score indicated 2 patients rated good, 3 rated fair, and 8 rated poor. The score correlated with measurements of anterior and posterior translation on the stress radiograph significantly. Stress radiography revealed that anterior laxity was reduced better than posterior laxity significantly. Conclusion: non-operative brace therapy can be considered for this combined injury as the initial treatment. A late reconstruction would be performed when the result was not satisfactory. Preserved range of motion and muscle strength after brace therapy had a great advantage to the late reconstructive surgery.