Purpose. The Purpose of this study was to evaluate hamstring strength after autogenous hamstring anterior cruciate ligament(ACL) reconstruction with emphasis on deeper knee flexion angles. A comparison of hamstring strength between patients undergoing ACL reconstruction using semitendinosus(ST), and those with semitendinosus and Gracilis(STG) tendons was conducted. Method. Sixty patients were prospectively followed after undergoing ACL reconstruction surgery. Forty patients received a ST graft, and 20 patients had a STG graft. All patients had standard IKDC subjective knee evaluation completed, and had bilateral hamstring strengths tested using isokinetic testing with a Cybex Orthotron machine. In addition, a hand held Microfet dynamometer was used to measure hamstring strengths at deeper knee flexion angles at six, 12, and 24 months. Results. When comparing the surgical hamstring strength compared to the control side at deeper knee flexion angle, the STG and ST group had and average of 65.0% and 79.8% strength respectively at 6 months(p<0.05). While at one year the STG and ST group had 63.6%, and 78.3% of their hamstring strength(p<0.05). Conclusion. Hamstring strength at deeper flexion angles after ACL reconstruction using autogenous semitendinosus and gracilis tendons is significantly weaker than using semitendinosus alone. The use of single tendon ACL reconstruction should be advocated to decrease morbidity of this procedure

Introduction. Anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) injuries represent a significant burden of disease to the orthopaedic surgeon and often necessitate surgical reconstruction in the presence of instability. The hamstring graft has traditionally been used to reconstruct the ACL but the quadriceps tendon (QT) graft has gained popularity due to its relatively low donor site morbidity. Methods. This is a single centre comparative retrospective analysis of prospectively collected data of patients who had an ACL reconstruction (either with single tendon quadrupled hamstring graft or soft tissue quadriceps tendon graft). All surgeries were performed by a single surgeon using the All-inside technique. For this study, there were 20 patients in each group. All patients received the same post-operative rehabilitation protocol and were added to the National Ligament Registry to monitor their patient related outcome scores (PROM). Results. The average age of patients in the QT group was 29 years (16 males, 4 females) and in the hamstring group was 28 years (18 males, 2 females). The most common mechanism of injury in both groups was a contact twisting injury. There were no statistical differences between the two patient groups in regards to PROMS and need for further revision surgery as analysed on the National Ligament Registry. Conclusions. The all soft tissue QT graft seems to be equivocal to quadrupled hamstring graft in terms of patient function and recovery graft characteristics. Further research may be needed to elucidate the long-term results of the all soft tissue QT graft given its recent increase in use

Hamstring grafts have been associated with reduced strength, donor site pain and muscle strains following Anterior Cruciate Ligament Reconstruction (ACLR). Traditional graft fixation methods required both semitendinosus and gracilis tendons to achieve a graft of sufficient length and diameter, but newer techniques allow for shorter, broad single tendon grafts. This study seeks to compare the outcomes between Single Tendon (ST) and Dual Tendon (DT) ACLR, given there is no prospective randomised controlled trial (RCT) in the literature comparing outcomes between these options. In this ongoing RCT: (ANZ Clinical Trials Registry ACTRN126200000927921) patients were recruited and randomised into either ST or DT groups. All anaesthetic and surgical techniques were uniform aside from graft technique and tibial fixation. 13 patients were excluded at surgery as their ST graft did not achieve a minimum 8mm diameter. 70 patients (34 ST, 36DT) have been assessed at 6 months, using PROMS including IKDC2000, Lysholm and Modified Cincinnati Knee, visual analog scale for pain frequency (VAS-F) and severity (VAS-S), dedicated donor site morbidity score, KT-1000 assessment, and isokinetic strength. Graft diameters were significantly lesser in the ST group compared to the DT group (8.44mm/9.11mm mean difference [MD],-0.67mm; P<0.001). There was a significant and moderate effect in lower donor site morbidity in the ST group compared to the DT group (effect size [ES], 0.649; P = .01). No differences between groups were observed for knee laxity in the ACLR limb (P=0.362) or any of the patient-reported outcome measures (P>0.05). Between-group differences were observed for hamstrings strength LSI favouring the ST group, though these were small-to-moderate and non-significant (ES, 0.351; P = .147). ST (versus DT) harvest results in significantly less donor site morbidity and this is the first prospective RCT to determine this. There were no differences between ST and DT hamstring ACLR were observed in PROMs, knee laxity and hamstring strength. Younger female patients tend to have inadequate single tendon size to produce a graft of sufficient diameter, and alternative techniques should be considered. Further endpoints include radiological analysis, longer term donor site morbidity, revision rates and return to sport and will continue to be presented in the future

Most previous studies investigating autograft options (quadriceps, hamstring, bone-patella-tendon-bone) in primary anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) reconstruction are confounded by concomitant knee injuries. This study aims to investigate the differences in patient reported outcome measures and revision rates for quadriceps tendon in comparison with hamstring tendon and bone-patella-tendon-bone autografts. We use a cohort of patients who have had primary ACL reconstruction without concomitant knee injuries. All patients from the New Zealand ACL Registry who underwent a primary arthroscopic ACL reconstruction with minimum 2 year follow-up were considered for the study. Patients who had associated ipsilateral knee injuries, previous knee surgery, or open procedures were excluded. The primary outcome was Knee Injury and Osteoarthritis Outcome Score (KOOS) and MARX scores at 2 years post-surgery. Secondary outcomes were all-cause revision and time to revision with a total follow-up period of 8 years (time since inception of the registry). 2581 patients were included in the study; 1917 hamstring tendon, 557 bone-patella-tendon-bone, and 107 quadriceps tendon. At 2 years, no significant difference in MARX scores were found between the three groups (2y mean score; 7.36 hamstring, 7.85 bone-patella-tendon-bone, 8.05 quadriceps, P = 0.195). Further, no significant difference in KOOS scores were found between the three groups; with the exception of hamstring performing better than bone-patella-tendon-bone in the KOOS sports and recreation sub-score (2y mean score; 79.2 hamstring, 73.9 bone-patella-tendon-bone, P < 0.001). Similar revision rates were reported between all autograft groups (mean revision rate per 100 component years; 1.05 hamstring, 0.80 bone-patella-tendon-bone, 1.68 quadriceps, P = 0.083). Autograft revision rates were independent of age and gender variables. Quadriceps tendon is a comparable autograft choice to the status quo for primary ACL reconstruction without concomitant knee injury. Further research is required to quantify the long-term outcomes for quadriceps tendon use

Avulsion of the proximal hamstring tendon from the ischial tuberosity is an uncommon but significant injury. Recent literature has highlighted that functional results are superior with surgical repair over non-surgical treatment. Limited data exists regarding the optimal rehabilitation regime in post-operative patients. The aim of this study was to investigate the early interim patient outcomes following repair of proximal hamstring tendon avulsions between a traditionally conservative versus an accelerated rehabilitation regimen. In this prospective randomised controlled trial (RCT) 50 patients underwent proximal hamstring tendon avulsion repair, and were randomised to either a braced, partial weight-bearing (PWB) rehabilitation regime (CR = 25) or an accelerated, unbraced, immediate full weight-bearing (FWB) regime (AR group; n = 25). Patients were evaluated preoperatively and at 3 months after surgery, using the Lower Extremity Functional Scale (LEFS), Perth Hamstring Assessment Tool (PHAT), visual analog pain scale (VASP), Tegner score, and 12-item Short Survey Form (SF-12). Patients also filled in a diary questioning postoperative pain at rest from Day 2, until week 6 after surgery. Primary analysis was by per protocol and based on linear mixed models. Both groups, with respect to patient and characteristics were matched at baseline. Over three months, five complications were reported (AR = 3, CR = 2). At 3 months post-surgery, significant improvements (p<0.001) were observed in both groups for all outcomes except the SF-12 MCS (P = 0.623) and the Tegner (P = 0.119). There were no significant between-group differences from baseline to 3 months for any outcomes, except for the SF-12 PCS, which showed significant effects favouring the AR regime (effect size [ES], 0.76; 95% CI, 1.2-13.2; P = .02). Early outcomes in an accelerated rehabilitation regimen following surgical repair of proximal hamstring tendon avulsions, was comparable to a traditionally conservative rehabilitation pathway, and resulted in better physical health-related quality of life scores at 3 months post-surgery. Further long term follow up and functional assessment planned as part of this study

Abstract. Objectives. To determine the effectiveness of LIA compared to ACB in providing pain relief and reducing opiates usage in hamstring graft ACL reconstructions. Materials and Methods. In a consecutive series of hamstring graft ACL reconstructions, patients received three different regional and/or anaesthetic techniques for pain relief. Three groups were studied: group 1: general anaesthetic (GA)+ ACB (n=38); group 2: GA + ACB + LIA (n=31) and group 3: GA+LIA (n=36). ACB was given under ultrasound guidance. LIA involved infiltration at skin incision site, capsule, periosteum and in the hamstring harvest tunnel. Analgesic medications were similar between the three groups as per standard multimodal analgesia (MMA). Patients were similar in demographics distribution and surgical technique. The postoperative pain and total morphine requirements were evaluated and recorded. The postoperative pain was assessed using the visual analogue scores (VAS) at 0hrs, 2hrs, 4hrs, weight bearing (WB) and discharge (DC). Results. There was no statistically significant difference in opiates intake amongst the three groups. When comparing VAS scores; there were no statistical difference between the groups at any of the time intervals that VAS was measured. However, the GA+LIA group hospital's LOS (m=2.31hrs, SD=0.75) was almost half that of GA+ACB group (m=4.24hrs, SD=1.08); (conditions t(72)=8.88; p=0.000). There was no statistical significance in the incidence of adverse effects amongst the groups. Conclusion. The LIA technique provided equally good pain relief following hamstring graft ACL reconstructions when compared to ACB, while allowing for earlier rehabilitation, mobilisation and discharge

Hamstring muscle strain is a common sports related injury. It has been reported in a variety of sports, following acceleration or deceleration while running or jumping. Injury may vary from simple muscle strains to partial or complete rupture of the hamstring origin. Avulsion fracture of the ischial tuberosity has also been described. Simple hamstring muscle strains are treated conservatively. Surgical exploration and repair is currently advocated for partial or complete rupture of the hamstring origin. A few case series exists in literature suggesting the benefits of early intervention. We report a series of 8 athletes who presented between 2002 and 2006 with complete tear of their hamstring origin. Avulsion of the ischial tuberosity was excluded in these cases. After confirming the diagnosis, early surgical exploration and repair or reattachment was performed. The patients were braced for 8 weeks. This was followed by specialist physiotherapy and a supervised rehabilitation programme over 6 months. All patients were followed up to monitor return to normal activities and sports. The sciatic nerve was scarred to the avulsed tendon in three cases. Neurolysis led to a rapid relief of symptoms. Cases where the hamstring origin had retracted more than 3 cm required a figure 7 incision. There were no major complications including nerve palsies. An excellent functional outcome was noted by 12 months in all 8 patients. 7 of them returned to their previous level within 6-9 months of injury. One person despite a very good recovery, opted out of sports. No other complications were seen as a result of the surgical procedure. In conclusion, a tear of the origin of hamstring muscles is a significant injury. Early surgical repair and physiotherapy is associated with a good outcome and enables an early return to high level sports

Hamstring tendons are commonly used for Anterior Cruciate Ligament (ACL) reconstruction. In our series of 100 consecutive Hamstring ACL reconstructions, a four-strand graft was less than 7.0 mm in 5 patients. The aim of this study was to develop a screening test to assess the size of the hamstring tendon and so aid in the pre operative planning and patient counselling especially if hamstring size was deemed to be inadequate. A retrospective study of 100 consecutive hamstring ACL reconstructions analysed the correlation of the tendon size to height, weight and body mass index. A prospective double blind study was also set up involving independent observations by a musculoskeletal radiologist and the lead Orthopaedic surgeon. Result. There was no correlation between the anthropometric measures and hamstring size in the retrospective study. A total of 27 limbs were assessed sonographically, in 26 patients. Spearman's rank correlation coefficient was found to Pearson's r = 0.0786; p = 0.715. Conclusion. Pre-operative anthropometric measures and Ultrasound could not be used as a screening test to detect inadequate hamstrings in the clinical setting

Given their role in reducing anterior tibial translation, the recruitment patterns and viscoelastic properties of the hamstring muscles have been implicated as neuromuscular factors contributing to the ACL gender bias. Nevertheless, it is uncertain whether patterns of aberration displayed by the female neuromuscular system significantly alters the antagonist moments generated by the hamstrings during maximal effort knee extension. The purpose of the current study was to examine the effect of gender on hamstring antagonist moments in order to explain the higher ACL injury rates in females. Eleven females (age 30.6 ± 10.1 years, mass 62.1± 6.9 kg, height 165.9 ± 4.6) and 11 males (age 29.0 ± 8.2 years, mass 78.6± 14.4 kg, height 178.5± 6.2) were recruited as subjects. Surface electrodes were placed over the semitendinosus (ST) and biceps femoris (BF) muscles of the dominant and non-dominant limbs. Each subject performed two sets of five maximal extension and flexion repetitions at 180-1. EMG, isokinetic torque and knee displacement data were sampled at 1000Hz using an AMLAB data acquisition system. Average hamstring antagonist torque data across the range of knee flexion for female subjects was significantly higher (%Diff=24%) than for the male control subject. Statistical analyses revealed a significant main effect of gender (F = 4.802; p = 0.036). Given that females possess a more compliant ACL and hamstring musculature, compared with their male counterparts, an augmented hamstring antagonist may represent a compensatory neuromuscular strategy to increase knee stiffness to control tibial translation and ACL strain. The results of this project suggest that it is unlikely that gender-related differences in hamstring antagonist torque is one of the predisposing factors contributing to the higher ACL injury rates in females

Abstract. Background. The gold standard treatment for Anterior Cruciate Ligament injury is reconstruction (ACL-R). Graft failure is the concern and ensuring a durable initial graft with rapid integration is crucial. Graft augmentation with implantable devices (internal brace reinforcement) is a technique purported to reduce the risk of rupture and hasten recovery. We aim to compare the short-term outcome of ACL-R using augmented hamstring tendon autografts (internally braced with neoligament) and non-augmented hamstring autografts. Methods. This was a retrospective cohort study comparing augmented and non-augmented ACL-R. All procedures were performed in a single centre using the same technique. The Knee injury and Osteoarthritis Outcome Score [KOOS] was used to assess patient-reported outcomes. Results. There were 70 patients in the augmented and 111 patients in the control group. Mean graft diameter in the augmented group was 8.82mm versus 8.44mm in the non-augmented. Six strand graft was achievable in 73.5% of the augmented group compared to 33% in the non-augmented group. Two graft failures were reported in the non-augmented group and none in the augmented group. Patient satisfaction rates were higher in the augmented group. There was a statistically insignificant improvement in the postoperative KOOS in the augmented group compared to the non-augmented group (p 0.6). Irrespective of augmentation status, no correlation was found between the functional score and age, or femoral tunnel width. Conclusion. Augmented ACL-R may achieve superior graft diameters, lower failure rates and better patient reported outcomes when compared to nonaugmented ACL-R. Prospective trials are needed to examine this further

Abstract. Background. The gold standard treatment for Anterior Cruciate Ligament injury is reconstruction (ACL-R). Graft augmentation with suture tape (internal brace) are techniques purported to reduce the risk of rupture and hasten recovery. Our aim was to assess the short-term outcome of ACL-R using fibre tape augmented and non-augmented hamstring tendon grafts. Methods. This was a retrospective comparative study looking at augmented and non-augmented ACL-R. All procedures were performed by a single surgeon in a single centre using the same technique. The Knee injury and Osteoarthritis Outcome Score [KOOS] was used to assess patient-reported outcomes. Results. There were 72 patients in the augmented and 132 patients in the control group. Confounding factors were comparable in both groups. The mean graft diameter in the augmented group was 8.81mm versus 8.01mm in the non-augmented. Six strand graft was achievable in 71% of the augmented group compared to 62.5% in the non-augmented group. Two graft failures reported in the non-augmented group and none in the augmented group. The average 14-month postoperative KOOS in the augmented group was 90.5 compared to an average 30-month score of 82.5 in the non-augmented group, which is statistically significant. Conclusion. Augmented ACL-R demonstrate statistically significant better patient-reported outcomes compared to the nonaugmented group. Graft failure rates may also be lower in augmented ACL-R

The level of hamstring antagonist activation is thought to be related to knee functionality following anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) injury/surgery as pronounced co-activation can control anterior tibial translation (ATT). The purpose of this study was to examine relationships between knee functionality and hamstring antagonist activation during isokinetic knee extension in ACL deficient (ACLD) and ACL reconstructed (ACLR) patients. Knee functionality was rated using the Cincinnati Knee Rating System for the involved limb of 10 chronic, functional ACLD patients and 27 ACLR patients (14 using a patella tendon (PT) graft and 13 using a semitendinosus/gracilis tendon (STGT) graft). Each subject also performed maximal effort isokinetic knee extension and flexion at 180°. s. -1. for the involved limb with electromyographic (EMG) electrodes attached to the semitendinosus (ST) and biceps femoris (BF) muscles. Antagonist activity of the ST and BF muscles was calculated in 10° intervals between 80-10° knee flexion. For the ACLD group, Pearson product moment correlations revealed significant (p<0.05) moderate, positive relationships between knee functionality and ST and BF antagonist activity across the majority of the knee flexion intervals. For both ACLR groups, several significant (p<0.05) moderate, negative associations were found between ST and BF antagonist activity and knee functionality. Amplified hamstring antagonist activity in ACLD patients at flexion angles representative of those at footstrike and deceleration improves knee functionality as increased crossbridge formation increases hamstring stiffness and decreases ATT. Lower-level hamstring activation is sufficient to unload the ACL graft and improve knee functionality in ACLR patients

AIMS. To review the results of a single surgeon series using the above implants looking at functional outcome and implant survivorship. BACKGROUND. The outcome of ACL reconstruction is multi-factorial. There are many described ways of securing a 4-srandd hamstring ACL graft with no clear gold standard. METHODS. A prospectively collected database was used to identify patients who had undergone primary ACL reconstruction under a single surgeon. In all cases, a 4 strand hamstring graft was used and secured with Bio-Intrafix and Rigidfix implants (Depuy Mitek). Minimum follow up was 8 months. Those who met the inclusion criteria were contacted via a postal survey using the Lysholm and Tegner questionnaires. RESULTS. In total 77 patients were eligible for inclusion, (10 females, 67 males) with a mean age of 31 (range 16-56). The response rate was 77% with average follow up of 25 months (range 9-44). The mean Lysholm score was 82.1, with 59% ranking their knee as good or excellent. On average patients dropped 1.8 levels on the Tegner activity rating (means of 7.5 to 5.7). There was a 100% survivorship of implants with no revisions undertaken due to implant failure. DISCUSSION. The study has shown that this cohort of patients has self-reported outcomes analogous to findings in the literature, and no obvious problem with implants. The quadrupled hamstring graft using Bio-Intrafix and Rigidfix implants produces mid- term functional and activity levels in keeping with the literature standard

Purpose. The majority (73%) of orthopaedic surgeons in Canada prefer using semitendinosus-gracilis (STG) autograft for ACL reconstruction. However, there is large variation in tendon size between individuals which makes pre-operative estimation of graft size unpredictable. Inadequate graft size may require an alternative source of graft tissue that should be planned prior to surgery. The purpose of this study is to determine if clinical anthropometric data and MRI measurements of STG tendons can be used to predict hamstring graft size. Method. One-hundred and fourteen patients with ACL deficiency awaiting reconstruction using hamstring autograft were retrospectively evaluated. The following information was obtained from patient charts: height, weight, body mass index (BMI), age, and gender. Cross-sectional area (CSA) of gracilis (G) and semitendinosus (ST) tendons were determined from pre-operative MRI scans using NIH ImageJ analysis software. Actual STG graft diameters were obtained from operative reports. Correlations between patient height, weight, BMI, age, gender, ST-CSA, G-CSA, STG-CSA and intraoperative graft size were calculated to determine the association between these variables. Multiple stepwise regression was performed to assess the predictive value of these variables to intraoperative graft diameter. In addition, three investigators with no radiological experience made independent measurements of the ST and G tendons to determine the inter-rater reliability (ICC) of MRI measurements. Results. All variables were independently correlated with intraoperative graft size (p<0.001). However, based on multiple stepwise regression analysis, only models including STG-CSA (r2=.212; p<.001); STG-CSA and sex (r2=.285; p<.001); and STG-CSA, sex and weight (r2=.294; p<.001) were found to be significant predictors of graft size (when co-variation in other factors was controlled). Inter-class correlation coefficients demonstrated very high agreement between raters for measurements of the ST, G and STG (.816, .827, .863, respectively). Conclusion. Measurement of tendon CSA from MRI images is very reliable. A model including STG-CSA, sex and weight was found to be strongly predictive of hamstring graft diameter for ACL reconstruction. This model may enhance our ability to predict adequate graft size and identify instances that other graft tissues may be a better option. The results of this study may improve pre-operative planning for ACL reconstruction

The primary purpose of this study was to assess whether patients presenting with clinical graft laxity following primary anatomic anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) reconstruction using hamstring autograft reported a significant difference in disease-specific quality-of-life (QOL) as measured by the ACL-QOL questionnaire. Clinical ACL graft laxity was assessed in a cohort of 1134/1436 (79%) of eligible patients using the Lachman and Pivot-shift tests pre-operatively and at 12- and 24-months following ACL reconstruction. Post-operative ACL laxity was assessed by an orthopaedic surgeon and a physical therapist who were blinded to each other's examination. If there was a discrepancy between the clinical examination findings from these two assessors, then a third impartial examiner assessed the patient to ensure a grading consensus was reached. Patients completed the ACL-QOL questionnaire pre-operatively, and 12- and 24-months post-operatively. Descriptive statistics were used to assess patient demographics, rate of post-operative ACL graft laxity, surgical failures, and ACL-QOL scores. A Spearman rho correlation coefficient was utilised to assess the relationships between ACL-QOL scores and the Lachman and Pivot-shift tests at 24-months post-operative. An independent t-test was used to determine if there were differences in the ACL-QOL scores of subjects who sustained a graft failure compared to the intact graft group. ACL-QOL scores and post-operative laxity were assessed using a one-way analysis of variance (ANOVA). There were 70 graft failures (6.17%) in the 1134 patients assessed at 24-months. A total of 226 patients (19.9%) demonstrated 24-months post-operative ACL graft laxity. An isolated positive Lachman test was assessed in 146 patients (12.9%), an isolated positive Pivot-shift test was apparent in 14 patients (1.2%), and combined positive Lachman and Pivot-shift tests were assessed in 66 patients (5.8%) at 24-months post-operative. There was a statistically significant relationship between 24-month post-operative graft laxity and ACL-QOL scores (p < 0.001). Specifically, there was a significant correlation between the ACL-QOL and the Lachman test (rho = −0.20, p < 0.001) as well as the Pivot-shift test (rho = −0.22, p < 0.001). There was no significant difference between the scores collected from the graft failure group prior to failure occurring (mean = 74.38, SD = 18.61), and the intact graft group (mean = 73.97, SD = 21.51). At 24-months post-operative, the one-way ANOVA demonstrated a statistically significant difference between the ACL-QOL scores of the no laxity group (mean = 79.1, SD = 16.9) and the combined positive Lachman and Pivot-shift group (mean = 68.5, SD = 22.9), (p = 0, mean difference = 10.6). Two-years post ACL reconstruction, 19.9% of patients presented with clinical graft laxity. Post-operative graft laxity was significantly correlated with lower ACL-QOL scores. The difference in ACL-QOL scores for patients with an isolated positive Lachman or Pivot-shift test did not meet the threshold of a clinically meaningful difference. Patients with clinical laxity on both the Lachman and Pivot-shift tests demonstrated the lowest patient-reported ACL-QOL scores, and these results exceeded the minimal clinically important difference

Objectives. Surgical marking during tendon surgery is often used for technical and teaching purposes. This study investigates the effect of a gentian violet ink marker pen, a common surgical marker, on the viability of the tissue and cells of tendon. Methods. In vitro cell and tissue methods were used to test the viability of human hamstring explants and the migrating tenocytes in the presence of the gentian violet ink. Results. The outcome of this study was that a constituent of the surgical marker pen causes cell and tissue death in culture, implying the same would occur in vivo. Conclusions. This is a cause for concern when marking tendon during surgical procedures, as it may compromise healing and repair and potentially contribute to a poor outcome. The authors suggest that an alternative surgical marking procedure should be found, or that all marker pens should undergo testing on human tendon tissue in vitro prior to use

There is increasing evidence that patients with ACL reconstruction using ipsilateral graft harvest are at greater risk of rupture (12.5%) on their contralateral compared to their surgical side (7.9%). The purpose of this study is to re-evaluate patients from a previous study comparing ipsi- versus contralateral graft harvest to compare ACL rupture rate at a minimum 10 year follow-up. An attempt to contact all participants from a previously published study was made to invite them to return for a follow-up. The assessment included an International Knee Documentation Committee Knee Clinical Assessment (IKDC), isokinetic concentric knee flexion and extension strength testing, as well as the ACL-Quality of life (ACL-QOL). A chart review was conducted to identify or confirm subsequent ipsi- or contralateral knee surgeries. In patients with ipsilateral graft, 3/34 (8.8%) re-ruptured and 3/34 (8.8%) had contralateral rupture. In the contralateral group, 1/28 (3.6%) re-ruptured and 2/28 (7.1%) had contralateral rupture. The relative risk (RR) of re-rupture with ipsilateral graft was 2.47 compared to using the contralateral site (p=0.42). RR of rupture on the contralateral side when ipsilateral graft was used was 1.23 compared to the alternate approach. Current contact information was unavailable for 21 patients. Of the 47 remaining, 37 were consented (79%). No difference in the ACL-QOL between groups (ipsilateral 68.4±24.4, contralateral 80.1±16.0, p=0.17) was observed. There were no differences in knee flexion strength between groups (peak torque flexion affected leg: ipsilateral 77.8nm/kg±27.4, contralateral: 90.0 nm/kg±35.1; p=0.32; Unaffected leg: ipsilateral: 83.3 nm/kg±30.2 contralateral 81.7 nm/kg±24.4; p= 0.89). This study suggests that using the contralateral hamstring in ACL rupture is not associated with an increase in ACL rupture on either side. The risk of ACL injury was low in all limbs; therefore, a larger study would be required to definitively state that graft side had no impact

Anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) reconstruction is a commonly performed operation. A variety of graft options are used with the most popular being bone-patellar-tendon-bone and hamstring autograft. There has been an increase in the popularity of hamstring autograft over the past decade. The aim of the study was to assess the ten year subjective knee function and activity level following four-strand semitendinosis and gracilis (STG) anterior cruciate ligament reconstruction. 86 patients underwent anterior cruciate reconstruction by two knee surgeons over a 12 month period (January 1999 to December 1999). 80 patients meet the inclusion criteria of arthroscopic ACL reconstruction. The same surgical technique was used by both surgeons involving four-strand STG autograft, single femoral and tibial tunnels and aperture graft fixation with the Round headed Cannulated Interference (RCI) screw. Patient evaluation was by completion of a Lysholm Knee Score and Tegner Activity Level Scale at a minimum of ten years from reconstructive surgery. This was by initial postal questionnaire and subsequent telephone follow-up. 80 patients underwent anterior cruciate reconstruction with average age 30.9 years (15 to 58 years). There was a 77.5% (62 patients) response at ten years to the questionnaire. The median Lysholm Knee Score at ten years was 94 (52 to 100). The median activity level had decreased from 9 to 5 at ten years according to the Tegner Activity Scale. 73% of patients reported a good or excellent outcome on the Lysholm score. The group of patients was further divided into those that required meniscal surgery and those that did not. The patients that did not require meniscal surgery had a median Lysholm score of 94 and those that required meniscal surgery had a similar median Lysholm score of 92.5. However it was noted that 8 patients required medial and lateral partial menisectomies at the time of original reconstruction. This group of patients had a median Lysholm Knee Score of 83.5 and Tegner Activity Scale of 4 at ten years following reconstruction. 17 of the 62 patients (27.4%) required re-operation because of further knee symptoms, with 4 patients requiring revision of the anterior cruciate following re-rupture. In conclusion anterior cruciate ligament reconstruction with four-strand STG hamstring autograft provides a reliable method of restoring knee function, with a 6% revision rate for re-rupture at ten years. Combined partial medial and lateral menisectomy at the time of the initial reconstruction is a poor prognostic indicator of function at ten years

Background. Recent publications have supported the anatomic placement of anterior cruciate grafts to optimise knee function. However, anatomic placement using the anteromedial portal has been shown to have a higher failure rate than traditional graft placement using the transtibial method. This is possibly due to it being more technically difficult and to the short femoral tunnel compromising fixation methods. It also requires the knee to be in hyper flexion. This position is not feasible during with a tourniquet in situ on the heavily muscled thighs of some athletes. Hypothesis: That navigation can be used to place the femoral tunnel in the anatomic position via a more medial transtibial tunnel. Methods. 25 patients underwent Navigated Anterior Cruciate reconstruction with quadruple hamstring grafts. The Orthopilot™ 3.0 ACL (BBraun Aesculap, Tuttlingen) software was used. The femoral and tibial ACL footprints were marked on the bones with a radio frequency probe and registered. The pivot shift test, anterior drawer and internal and external rotation were registered. A navigated tibial guide wire was inserted at 25° to the sagittal plane and 45° to the transverse plane exiting through the centre of the tibial footprint. The guide wire was advanced into the joint to just clear of the surface of the femoral footprint with the knee in 90° flexion. Flexion/extension of the knee was done to determine the closest position of the guide wire tip to the centre of the anatomical femoral footprint. If the tip was within 2mm of the centre of footprint, the position was accepted. If not the tibial guide wire was repositioned and the process repeated. The tibial tunnel was drilled, followed by transtibial drilling of the femoral tunnel. A screen shot was done to allow determination of the shape and area of the tunnel aperture relative to the femoral footprint using ImageJ (National Institute of Health). The graft was fixed proximally with an Arthrex ACL Tightrope® and distally with a Genesys™ interference screw. The pivot shift test, anterior drawer and internal and external rotation were repeated and recorded using the software. Results. In 22 out of 25 patients the centre of the drill hole was within 2mm of the centre of the anatomic femoral footprint. In 3 patients it was between 2 and 4 mm off centre. The femoral tunnel diameter ranged from 7.5mm to 9.5mm. In 23 knees there was more than 80 % overlap between the tunnel aperture and the anatomical footprint. In the other 2 knees there was 65% and 75% overlap respectively. The direction of the final tibial tunnel ranged from 22° to 28° from the sagittal plane and 42° to 49° from the transverse plane. The optimum knee flexion was between 76° and 94°. In all cases, the pivot shift recorded by the software was absent after graft fixation. There was a statistically significant difference between the anterior drawer, internal and external rotation before and after graft fixation (p<0.05). Conclusion. Based on our data, navigation allows reproducible transtibial anatomic placement of the quadruple hamstring ACL graft. This is possible when the position of the tibial tunnel is customised to the anatomy of the individual patient's knee

Purpose. To evaluate the results of quadrupled hamstring tendon autograft anterior cruciate ligament reconstruction with four fold Hamstring Tendon Graft using Transfix and Bioabsorbable Interference Screw Fixation. Study Design. Retrospective review. Methods. Sixty-five patients (66 knees) were retrospectively identified by chart review as having undergone quadrupled hamstring tendon autograft anterior cruciate ligament reconstruction, with four fold Hamstring Tendon Graft, using Transfix and Bioabsorbable Interference Screw Fixation. All patients underwent a minimum two-year follow-up. Results. Data were collected on 48 knees in 47 patients (73%) at an average 30.2 months (range 24 to 43) after surgery. Thirty-six patients (37 knees) returned for clinical evaluation (56% return) and subjective follow-up only was obtained in 11 patients (17%). The mean Lysolm knee score was 91 (range, 45 to 98), with a mean of 97 for the uninvolved knee. The mean Tegner activity score was 5.7 (range 3 to 7). The KT-1000 arthrometer mean side-to-side difference for manual maximum displacement was 2.03 mm (range -1 to 8). The mean International Knee Documentation Committee knee score was 83 (range 47 to 100). Patients who underwent associated partial meniscectomy or meniscal repair had significantly lower International Knee Documentation Committee scores than patients without associated procedures (P < 0.01). Conclusions. Quadrupled hamstring tendon autograft anterior cruciate ligament reconstruction with bioabsorbable interference screw fixation is comparable with other methods of anterior cruciate ligament reconstruction in terms of patient satisfaction, knee stability, and function