ANTERIOR CRUCIATE LIGAMENT RECONSTRUCTION WITH THE PATELLAR TENDON - AUGMENTATION OR NOT - A 2-YEAR FOLLOW-UP OF 82 PATIENTS

The aim of this bi-centre study was to assess the possible effects of the addition of the Kennedy ligament augmentation device (LAD) in the reconstruction of the anterior cruciate ligament (ACL). The method of reconstruction used was a modification of the Bruckner and Brostrom pr ocedures, using the medial third of the patellar tendon tunnelled thro ugh the proximal tibia into the lateral femoral condyle and fastened w ith pull-out sutures. Eighty-two patients with chronic ACL insufficien cy and severe symptoms of instability in spite of physiotherapy were r andomly selected for reconstruction with or without a LAD. The LAD-aug mented knees had the synthetic augmentation stitched to and embedded i nto the autogenous tissue and the composite graft was pulled through a femoral tunnel and stapled proximally. The patients were followed up regularly and the 2-year results are presented here. The out-come in b oth groups was good. The augmented-knee group had a larger extension d eficit 1 month post-operatively compared to the non-augmented knee gro up but a smaller extension deficit at the 2-year follow-up. There was no difference in the median of the Lysholm knee function score but the re were more patients in the non-augmented group with a lower Lysholm knee function score at the 2-year follow-up.