PROSPECTIVE PREOPERATIVE EVALUATION OF ANTERIOR CRUCIATE LIGAMENT INSTABILITY OF THE KNEE-JOINT AND RESULTS OF RECONSTRUCTION WITH PATELLARLIGAMENT

Of 54 patients with chronic (n = 49) or acute (n = 5) anterior cruciat e ligament instability, 52 were evaluated after mean.16 months' follow -up interval after open (n = 18) or arthroscopic assisted (n = 36) bon e-tendon-bone patellar ligament reconstruction. Preoperative Knee Sign ature System side-to-side difference in anterior displacement decrease d from 7.9 mm to 3.5 mm at follow-up evaluation (p < 0.0001). An objec tively satisfactory limit of 5 mm in side-to-side difference was achie ved in 73% of the patients. At follow-up evaluation, there was a posit ive pivot shift sign in eight knees (one definite and seven trace). Av erage Lysholm knee scores improved from 69 to 83. The only significant difference between the arthroscopic assisted and open groups was smal ler side-to-side anterior displacement difference in the arthroscopic group (2.2 mm versus 4.8 mm, p = 0.002). Results suggest that more acc urate and isometric placement of the graft is possible with the arthro scopic-assisted technique.