ANTERIOR CRUCIATE LIGAMENT RECONSTRUCTION WITH AUTOGENOUS PATELLAR TENDON GRAFT IN PATIENTS WITH ARTICULAR-CARTILAGE DAMAGE

To test if anterior cruciate ligament reconstruction with autogenous p atellar tendon can alleviate symptoms and functional limitations and i ncrease activity levels in patients with advanced articular cartilage damage, we looked at 53 patients with arthroscopically documented cart ilage damage. In this group, a mean of 7.5 years had elapsed between t he original injury and the reconstruction, and 90 prior operative proc edures had been done. Postoperatively, all patients had immediate moti on and early functional rehabilitation. The results were assessed with the Cincinnati Knee Rating System. At followup (mean, 27 months), sig nificant improvements were found for pain, swelling, giving way, funct ional limitations with daily and sports activities, and the overall ra ting score, Forty-two patients (79%) had returned to some type of athl etic activity. Only three patients (6%) had failed results. In the pat ients' own ratings of the overall knee condition, 8 of 51 (16%) rated their knees as normal, 28 (55%) as very good, 7 (14%) as good, 5 (10%) as fair, and 3 (6%) as poor. We concluded that the majority of patien ts benefited from the arthroscopically assisted anterior cruciate liga ment reconstruction because it decreased episodes of giving way with d aily activities and increased activity without aggravating the preexis ting arthrosis.