How to Succeed in Arthroscopic Anterior Cruciate Ligament Primary Repair? Step-by-Step Technique

Abstract

Historically, poor results of open primary repair of anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) injuries have been reported. It has recently been recognized that favorable outcomes of primary ACL repair are possible when selectively performed in patients with proximal tears and good tissue quality. Moreover, with arthroscopic technological advances, primary repair can be a valuable treatment option for patients with proximal tears. Preserving the native ACL has several advantages, including maintenance of native proprioceptive function and biology. The procedure is also minimally invasive and reduces the inflammatory reaction often seen in ACL reconstruction. Recently, it has been suggested that additional suture augmentation of the primary repair technique may be beneficial for protecting ligament healing during early range of motion. In this Technical Note, we present the step-by-step surgical technique of arthroscopic primary repair using a femoral suspensory device with suture augmentation.