This article is more than 5 years old. Information may no longer be current.
Combined ACL and anterolateral ligament reconstruction improved outcomes in athletes
Recently published results showed that although combined ACL and anterolateral ligament reconstruction effectively improved subjective and objective outcomes in athletes, the results were not significantly superior to isolated ACL reconstruction except for results of instrumented knee laxity testing.
Researchers randomly assigned 110 male athletes with a unilateral ACL injury and high-grade pivot shift to undergo either combined ACL and anterolateral ligament (ALL) reconstruction (group A) or isolated ACL reconstruction (group B). Researchers conducted preoperative and postoperative evaluations by obtaining history details, recording physical examination findings, measuring knee laxity using the KT-1000 arthrometer and using validated outcome scores for the knee.
Overall, 53 patients in group A and 50 patients in group B were available for analysis at a mean follow-up of 27 months. Results showed the only statistically different outcome between the two groups was KT-1000 arthrometer values, which had a median result of 1.3 mm for combined ACL and ALL reconstruction vs. 1.8 mm for isolated ACL reconstruction.
Compared with contralateral knees at final follow-up, researchers noted no patients in the combined ACL and ALL reconstruction group had anterior translation of greater than 5 mm at maximum pulling strength. However, anterior translation of more than 5 mm was found in 6% of patients in the isolated ACL reconstruction group. Researchers found no serious complications in either group. – by Casey Tingle
Disclosure: The researchers report no relevant financial disclosures.