RECONSTRUCTION OF MID-SUBSTANCE ANTERIOR CRUCIATE RUPTURE IN ADOLESCENTS WITH OPEN PHYSES

Five cases of anterior cruciate ligament reconstruction, performed for symptomatic episodes of giving way or during surgery for associated i njury, were carried out in preepiphyseal closure adolescents (ages 12- 15 years), utilising a strip of iliotibial band placed over the top of the lateral femoral condyle in a Macintosh type repair, and avoiding drilling through epiphyseal plates. At a mean follow-up of 4.4 years, ah five were symptomatically satisfactory and all five patients had re turned to their preinjury level of sports activity. Although objective assessment revealed that increased laxity, when compared to the norma l leg anterior laxity measured by the KT-1000, was within normal limit s in four of five patients. Only one patient, who had had a fracture o f the contralateral femur, had any leg length discrepancy.