Arthroscopic Findings of patellar Tendon Autograft Used for Anterior Cruciate Ligament Reconstruction of the Knee

In a follow-up study, second-look arthroscopy was performed in 36 patients after anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) reconstruction using a bone-patellar tendon-bone autograft. The time interval between index reconstruction and second-look arthroscopy ranged from 12 to 18 months (average, 14.2±2 months). On the basis of arthroscopic findings, three types of patellar tendon autograft morphology could be discerned. Ten patients had a Type I graft, i.e., an intact, ligmentous bone-patellar tendon-bone graft with thick vascularized synovial sheath. Eighteen patients had a taut autograft (designated “Type II”) covered with a thin or incomplete synovial sheath. In 8 patients, the autograft (categorized as “Type III”) was separated in to multiple strands or partially torn. None of the patellar tendon autografts was completely torn.Cyclops lesion was noted in six knees. The synovial covering of the grafts in 12 patients was hyperemic with abundant capillary blood vessels. Hpervascularity was found in the mid-zone. Knee stability did not differ significantly between the types of tendon graft. The Lysholm scores of each type of the tendon grafts improved significantly from initial ACL reconstruction to second-look arthroscopic examination. The relationship between the types of the grafts and the duration of surgical reconstruction did not differ significantly. On the basis of these results, we speculated that food functional score and stability of the knee in 12-18 months after ACL reconstruction, using a free patellar tendon autograft, were not necessarity associated with the restoration of a normal ACL. During this period, synovial tissue enveloping grafts often remained thick and the maturation of the patellar tendon autograft continued.

並列關鍵字

Patellar tendon autograft ； ACL reconstruction ； Arthroscopic Findings

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