Purpose: The purpose of this study was to evaluate the short-term clinical results and location of the bone tunnel with a new surgical procedure for all-inside double-bundle anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) reconstruction.
Methods: The double-bundle ACL reconstruction procedure was performed in 24 patients (13 male and 11 female patients) with a mean age of 31.0 years. Anterior and posterior tibial translation using an arthrometer (KT-1000; MEDmetric, San Diego, CA) and the Lysholm score were measured before surgery and at a mean of 24.8 months (range, 13 to 45 months) postoperatively. Computed tomography scans were taken to evaluate the bone tunnel positions using 3-dimensional images with the quadrant method for the femoral tunnel and Stäubli's technique for the tibial tunnel.
Results: Three-dimensional computed tomography scans showed that the anteromedial and posterolateral tunnels were placed in anatomically appropriate positions. Arthrometric measurements showed that the mean side-to-side differences were 5.3 mm (SD, 1.6 mm) preoperatively and 0.05 mm (SD, 0.7 mm) at a mean of 24.8 months postoperatively, indicating a remarkable improvement (P < .00001). The mean Lysholm score was 56.3 points (SD, 14.8 points) preoperatively and 95.5 points (SD, 3.8 points) at final follow-up and was significantly improved after the operation (P < .00001).
Conclusions: The all-inside double-bundle ACL reconstruction technique used in this study resulted in the creation of tunnels in an anatomically appropriate position. Short-term clinical follow-up showed improvement in patient-reported outcomes and knee stability. This technique may provide an alternative option for all-inside ACL reconstruction.
Level of evidence: Level IV, therapeutic case series.
Copyright © 2015 Arthroscopy Association of North America. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.