RECONSTRUCTION OF OLD ANTERIOR CRUCIATE LIGAMENT INJURIES - NO DIFFERENCE BETWEEN THE KENNEDY LAD-METHOD AND TRADITIONAL PATELLAR TENDON GRAFT IN A PROSPECTIVE RANDOMIZED STUDY OF 40 PATIENTS WITH 4-YEAR FOLLOW-UP

in a prospective randomized study we investigated 40 patients with fun ctional instability due to old anterior cruciate ligament tears by usi ng two different techniques for reconstruction of the ligament. 20 pat ients were randomized to reconstruction with use of a traditional medi al bone-patellar tendon graft and 20 patients to a half-thickness pate llar tendon graft augmented with the Kennedy Ligament Augmentation Dev ice (LAD). At follow-up after 4 years, both groups were still improved concerning function scores and arthrometry. The use of the Kennedy LA D method, however, gave no more subjective or objective benefits than did the traditional method.