B. Engstrom et al., PATELLAR TENDON OR LEEDS-KEIO GRAFT IN THE SURGICAL-TREATMENT OF ANTERIOR CRUCIATE LIGAMENT RUPTURES - INTERMEDIATE RESULTS, Clinical orthopaedics and related research, (295), 1993, pp. 190-197
In a prospective randomized study, 60 patients with unilateral chronic
anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) rupture were allocated to surgical r
econstruction using an autogenous patellar tendon graft (PT) or a synt
hetic Leeds-Keio graft (LK). Fifty-five patients (26 PT, 29 LK), 32 me
n, 23 women, fulfilled the criteria to be further tested. The mean tim
e from surgery to follow up was 28 months. Laxity was tested by pivot
shift and an instrumented anterior laxity test. Subjective knee functi
on was classified using the Lysholm score, Tegner activity score, and
IKDC grading. Muscle performance was analyzed in 49 patients (23 PT, 2
6 LK. There was no difference between the two groups in anthropometry,
activity levels (before trauma; present; desired activity), time from
trauma to surgery, or time from surgery to follow-up evaluation. Neit
her the concentric and eccentric knee extensor peak torque ratio nor t
he knee extensor endurance and the one-leg hop test differed between t
he two groups. However, both the pivot-shift and the anterior laxity w
ere significantly greater for the LK group. On the other hand, signifi
cantly more patients in the PT group had an extensor lag. Although the
results are only intermediate, the leeds-Keio ligament does not fulfi
ll the requirements for a satisfactory result in ACL reconstructive su
rgery with regard to knee-joint stability.