Fr. Noyes et Sd. Barberwestin, ANTERIOR CRUCIATE LIGAMENT RECONSTRUCTION WITH AUTOGENOUS PATELLAR TENDON GRAFT IN PATIENTS WITH ARTICULAR-CARTILAGE DAMAGE, American journal of sports medicine, 25(5), 1997, pp. 626-634
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.