自体与深低温冷冻异体髌腱重建前交叉韧带临床疗效比较研究

目的:回顾性观察比较自体与深低温冷冻同种异体骨腱骨(BPTB)组织重建膝关节前交叉韧带(ACL)临床疗效差异。方法:回顾2003年8月~2005年12月共82例ACL损伤患者,其中自体同侧BPTB组织移植59例,同种异体BPTB移植23例。术前、术后行体格检查、膝关节IKDC评定、Lysholm-Tegner评分、VAS疼痛评分及KT-2000检测。采用t检验及χ2检验比较两组间差异。结果:41例自体及17例异体移植物重建患者分别获得平均34.3个月(18~46个月)和平均33.5个月(19~43个月)的最终随访。异体组发生再断裂1例,无感染及排斥反应。自体组4例无明显跪地痛,其余37例患者均极少或未尝试跪地动作,其中髌前取骨处明显压痛5例。5例自体及1例异体移植患者随访时前抽屉试验(ADT)阳性,3例自体及1例异体称植患者Lachman检查阳性。术后两组间关节活动度、膝关节IKDC评定、Lysholm-Tegner评分、KT-2000检测均无显著差异,VAS评分有显著差异(P<0.05)。结论:同种异体与自体髌腱移植物重建ACL临床疗效相近,同种异体移植组织是重建ACL的良好替代物。     

Does irradiation affect the clinical outcome of patellar tendon allograft ACL reconstruction?

The clinical implications of using irradiation to sterilize allograft bone–patellar tendon–bone (BPTB) remains unknown. The purpose of this study was to compare the clinical outcome of anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) reconstruction with irradiated allograft versus autograft BPTB. We hypothesized that patients undergoing ACL reconstruction with irradiated BPTB allograft would have no significant differences in patient-reported and objective parameters compared to those undergoing autograft BPTB reconstruction. Patients who underwent ACL reconstruction with either irradiated allograft or autograft BPTB from 1996 to 2002 were eligible for this study. One hundred and two patients (39 allograft, 63 autograft) met the study criteria and were available for follow-up. The BPTB allografts were obtained from a single tissue bank and were sterilized with 2.5 Mrad of irradiation prior to distribution. Participants completed the International Knee Documentation Committee (IKDC) subjective knee form and returned for physical and radiographic examinations, instrumented measurement of laxity, and functional testing. Patients were evaluated at an average follow-up of 4.2 years (range 1.8–8.4). Those undergoing allograft reconstruction were older (44±8.4 vs. 25.3±9.3 years, p<0.001) and had a longer median time from injury to surgery (17.1 weeks vs. 9.7 weeks, p=0.04). There was no difference in IKDC Subjective Knee Scores between groups (86.7 allograft vs. 88.0 autograft, p=0.65). The average maximum manual KT-1000 side-to-side difference was 1.3 and 2.2 mm for allograft and autograft, respectively (p=0.04); however, after adjusting for age, this difference was no longer significant. 90.6% of the allograft and 82.8% of the autograft had normal/nearly normal overall IKDC physical examination rating (p=0.37). 66.7% of the allograft and 77.8% of the autograft returned to the same or more strenuous level of sports (p=0.25). Patients undergoing ACL reconstruction with irradiated allograft BPTB had similar clinical outcomes compared to those reconstructed with autograft BPTB. These data suggest that irradiation can be used to sterilize BPTB allograft without adversely affecting clinical outcome.     

同种异体胫前肌腱和自体腘绳肌腱重建前交叉韧带临床研究

目的:探讨关节镜下同种异体胫前肌腱与自体腘绳肌腱重建前交叉韧带(ACL)的临床疗效。方法:回顾了60例陈旧性前交叉韧带损伤重建病例,分为A组30例,B组30例。分别应用同种异体胫前肌腱(A组)和自体半腱肌、股薄肌腱(B组)重建ACL,A组平均随访29.4个月,B组平均随访31.6月。采用Lysholm、Tegner、IKDC、KT2000对患者进行术前和术后膝关节功能测试、评分,并用等速测试仪测量各组术后伸膝、屈膝、内旋和外旋肌力。结果:两组手术前后Lysholm、TegnerI、KDC、KT2000测试结果均有显著性差异(P<0.01);但两组间术后评分无显著性差异(P>0.05)。等速肌力测试结果显示术后B组内旋、屈膝肌力较术前下降(P<0.05),而A组术后肌力较术前无明显下降(P>0.05)。结论:关节镜下采用同种异体胫前肌腱重建前交叉韧带疗效满意,不良反应发生率低。     

Allograft anterior cruciate ligament reconstruction in a sheep model. The effect of synthetic augmentation.

The purpose of this study was to assess the effect of synthetic augmentation of a bone-patellar tendon-bone allograft on the basis of biomechanical, morphologic, and histologic evaluation. The anterior cruciate ligament was reconstructed in the left knee of 66 adult sheep. Half the knees received bone-patellar tendon-bone grafts alone, while the other half were augmented. All of the knees, including the contralateral controls, had gross and histologic examination, hydroxyproline assay for collagen content, and biomechanical testing in groups at 0, 4, 16, and 52 weeks postoperatively. Biomechanical testing included anteroposterior translation, ultimate tensile strength, energy to failure, stiffness, and mode of failure. Eight fresh bone-patellar tendon-bone allografts were compared to eight cryopreserved bone-patellar tendon-bone allografts for baseline data on the effects of the cryopreservation. Cryopreservation did not have any effect on graft characteristics. Gross and histologic examination did not reveal any significant difference between the augmented and nonaugmented groups at any of the time periods. In addition, hydroxyproline content of the allograft was not altered by augmentation throughout the study period. Biomechanical laboratory evaluation demonstrated the augmented group had significantly reduced anteroposterior translation (P less than 0.05) at 52 weeks compared to the nonaugmented group. The ultimate tensile strength was significantly higher (P less than 0.05) in the augmented group at 4 weeks, but at 52 weeks both groups had attained only 50% of the normal anterior cruciate ligament strength. Stiffness and energy to failure were similar in both groups at all time periods. From the results of this study, synthetic augmentation appears to improve initial strength and prevent late allograft laxity while allowing normal remodeling processes to occur in the bone-patellar tendon-bone allograft anterior cruciate ligament reconstruction.     

Anterior cruciate ligament reconstruction with BPTB autograft, irradiated versus non-irradiated allograft: a prospective randomized clinical study

The effect of using gamma irradiation to sterilize bone-patellar tendon-bone (BPTB) allograft on the clinical outcomes of anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) reconstruction with irradiated allograft remains controversial. Our study was aimed to analyze the clinical outcomes of arthroscopic ACL reconstruction with irradiated BPTB allograft compared with non-irradiated allograft and autograft. All BPTB allografts were obtained from a single tissue bank and the irradiated allografts were sterilized with 2.5 Mrad of irradiation prior to distribution. A total of 102 patients undergoing arthroscopic ACL reconstruction were prospectively randomized consecutively into three groups. The same surgical technique was used in all operations done by the same senior surgeon. Before surgery and at the average of 31 months follow-up (range 24–47 months) patients were evaluated by the same observer according to objective and subjective clinical evaluations. Of these patients, 99 (autograft 33, non-irradiated allograft 34, irradiated allograft 32) were available for full evaluation. When compared the irradiated allograft group to non-irradiated allograft group or autograft group at 31 months follow-up by the Lachman test, ADT, pivot shift test and KT-2000 arthrometer testing, statistically significant differences were found. Most importantly, 87.8% of patients in the Auto group, 85.3% in the Non-Ir-Auto group and just only 31.3% in the Ir-Allo group had a side-to-side difference of less than 3 mm according to KT-2000. The failure rate of the ACL reconstruction with irradiated allograft (34.4%) was higher than that with autograft (6.1%) and non-irradiated allograft (8.8%). The anterior and rotational stability decreased significantly in the irradiated allograft group. According to the overall IKDC, functional, subjective evaluations and activity level testing, no statistically significant differences were found between the three groups. However, there was a trend that the functional and activity level decreased and the patients felt uncomfortable more often in the irradiated allograft group. The statistical analysis showed no significant difference between the non-irradiated allograft group and the autograft group according to the aforementioned evaluations, except that patients in the allograft group had a shorter operation time and a longer duration of postoperative fever. When comparing the postoperative duration of fever of the two allograft groups, there was also a trend that the irradiated allograft group was longer than the non-irradiated allograft group, but no significant difference was found. When the patients had a fever, the laboratory examinations of all patients were almost normal (Blood routine was normal, the values of ESR were 5 ~ 16 mm/h, CRP were 3 ~ 10 mg/l). On the basis of our study, we concluded that patients undergoing ACL reconstruction with BPTB non-irradiated allograft or autograft had similar clinical outcomes. Non-irradiated BPTB allograft is a reasonable alternative to autograft for ACL reconstruction. While the short term clinical outcomes of the ACL reconstruction with irradiated BPTB allograft were adversely affected with an increased failure rate. The less than satisfactory results led the senior authors to discontinue the use of irradiated BPTB allograft in ACL surgery and not to advocate that gamma irradiation be used as a secondary sterilizing method. Further research into alternatives to gamma irradiation is needed. Supported by Provincial Science Foundation of China (2004GG2202034).     

三种移植物关节镜下重建前交叉韧带的临床疗效比较

目的比较分析膝关节镜下自体骨-髌腱-骨（B-PT-B）、同种异体跟腱和LARS（1igament advanced reinforce．mentsystem,LARS）人工韧带重建前交叉韧带（anterior cruciate ligament,ACL）的临床疗效差异。方法从2008年2月-2010年11月,对156例膝关节ACL损伤患者行关节镜下ACL重建术,其中自体骨-髌腱-骨（B-PT-B）组39例,同种异体跟腱组53例,LARS人工韧带组64例。通过一般情况、前抽屉试验、Lachman试验、轴移试验、Lysholm、IKDC膝关节评分进行临床疗效评价。结果所有患者随访12-38个月,平均21个月,术后3、6个月各组膝关节Lysholm、IKDC评分,LARS组明显高于其余2组（P〈O．05）。异体跟腱组与自体B-PT-B组相比,差异无统计学意义（P〉0．05）。术后12月及最后随访时,LARS组略高于其余2组,但3组间差异无统计学意义（P〉0．05）。结论在关节镜下应用3种不同移植物重建前交叉韧带的近期疗效均较为满意,LARS组可在术后早期进行膝关节功能活动近期效果优于自体B-PT-B组和异体跟腱组。对于年轻患者．尤其是运动员ACL损伤。LARS人工韧带是一种理想移植材料。     

膝关节内侧副韧带、前交叉韧带、后交叉韧带联合损伤的手术治疗

目的探讨关节镜下膝关节前交叉韧带(ACL)、后交叉韧带(PCL)、内侧副韧带联合损伤(Ⅲ度膝关节外翻伤)的手术治疗方法。方法关节镜下同时联合重建ACL、PCL并修复内侧副韧带和内侧关节囊，8例交叉韧带重建材料来源于自体双侧髌腱中1／3骨-腱-骨结构，8例采用同种异体髌腱重建，交叉韧带重建的同时进行膝关节内侧副韧带和关节囊的修补。术后佩戴可调式卡盘支具3个月，并给予严格的康复训练。结果术后随访6～18个月，所有患者主观感觉以及膝关节稳定程度恢复良好，均进行正常生活与工作，同种异体髌腱移植重建比自体髌腱移植重建前后交叉韧带手术时间短，效果更好，没有发现明显的排异反应和感染传染性疾病的现象。结论1期行关节镜手术治疗膝关节内侧副韧带、前交叉韧带／后交叉韧带联合损伤，使用安全，效果满意；同种异体髌腱是重建物是一个可以选择的来源，效果优于自体髌腱移植重建。     

持续被动活动对兔重建前交叉韧带生物力学特性的影响

目的:采用半腱肌腱重建兔前交叉韧带(ACL),探讨持续被动活动(CPM)对移植物生物力学特性的影响。方法:对30只8月龄雄性新西兰大白兔右侧后肢膝关节行自体双股半腱肌腱移植重建前交叉韧带手术。术后随机分为CPM组和非CPM组两组:CPM组术后第2天开始采用自制兔膝关节CPM器进行持续被动活动,共6周;非CPM组仅笼养。分别于术后第6、12、24周取材,每组每次取5只行生物力学观察。结果:与非CPM组相比,CPM组大部分标本两束融合成一体。从术后6周到24周,所有移植物的最大载荷、最大应力、弹性模量以及这些指标和其对照侧ACL的比值逐渐增加。在术后6、12、24周时,CPM组移植物最大载荷分别为22.72N、79.56N、122.20N,最大应力分别为4.58MPa、13.62MPa、21.79MPa;非CPM组移植物最大载荷分别为16.00N、70.68N、96.20N,最大应力分别为3.07MPa、11.58MPa、17.89MPa。3个时间点两组间上述指标差异均具有统计学意义(P<0.05)。结论:半腱肌腱重建兔前交叉韧带术后早期进行持续被动活动可明显提高移植物的生物力学性能。     

Synthetic and allograft anterior cruciate ligament reconstruction

Although still in the early stages of development, the use of synthetics and allografts in ACL surgery appears promising. Two prosthetic ligaments, the Kennedy LAD and Gore-Tex, are FDA approved for limited indications. The Kennedy LAD has been shown to be effective in augmenting an autograft with inherent structural weakness in its central portion. The proposed benefits of using this device with grafts of greater strength are unproved. The Gore-Tex ACL reconstruction allows a rapid initiation of vigorous rehabilitation and return to full activities. However, the complication rate with this procedure appears to be higher than that with autograft reconstruction. The use of allograft for ACL reconstruction also has many potential advantages and short-term clinical trials have shown good results. However, the benefits must be weighed against the possibility of long-term failure and potential spread of infectious disease.     

Surgical treatment of acl-pcl-medial side-lateral-side injuries of the knee

The multiple-ligament-injured knee is a complex problem in orthopaedic surgery. Most dislocated knees involve tears of the anterior cruciate ligament (ACL), posterior cruciate ligament (PCL), and at least one collateral ligament complex. Careful assessment of the extremity vascular status is essential because of the possibility of arterial and/or venous compromise. These complex injuries require a systematic approach to evaluation and treatment. Physical examination and imaging studies enable the surgeon to make a correct diagnosis and to formulate a treatment plan. Arthroscopically assisted combined ACL/PCL reconstruction is a reproducible procedure. Knee stability is improved postoperatively when evaluated by using knee-ligament rating scales, arthrometer testing, and stress radiographic analysis. Acute medial collateral ligament tears when combined with ACL/PCL tears may, in certain cases, be treated with bracing. Posterolateral corner injuries combined with ACL/PCL tears are best treated with primary repair, as indicated, combined with reconstruction by using a post of strong autograft (split biceps tendon, biceps tendon, semitendinosus) or allograft (Achilles tendon, bone—patellar tendon—bone) tissue. Surgical timing depends on the ligaments injured, the vascular status of the extremity, reduction stability, and the overall health of the patient. We prefer the use of allograft tissue for reconstruction in these cases because of the strength of these large grafts and the absence of donor-site morbidity.     

Graft selection in surgicalreconstruction of the multiple-ligament-injured knee

Knowledge of the various graft options available for reconstruction of the knee with multiple ligamentous injuriesis necessary for the surgeon and patient to make an informed decision. Allograft is frequently used for such reconstructions, because multiple grafts are often necessary. Allograft avoids the morbidity associated with autograft harvest, allows smaller incisions, and saves operative time. A concern with the use of allograft, however, is the small but serious risk of disease transmission, including viral and bacterial infections. Allograft is also expensive and its availability may be limited. Some patients may prefer reconstruction with autograft tissue. Bone-patellar tendon-bone autograft is strong, stiff, and allows bony fixation at both ends. Harvest complications, primarily anterior knee pain, are drawbacks to using this source. Hamstring tendon autograft harvest results in less donor-site morbidity and comparable strength to bone-patellar tendon-bone autograft when bundled. Quadriceps tendon autograft also has been used in knee reconstruction, offering a strong graft with less morbidity than bone-patellar tendon-bone autograft harvest. Quadriceps tendon harvest is technically challenging, however. Achilles tendon and anterior tibialis allografts, as well as both autograft/allograft patellar tendon, quadriceps tendon, and hamstring tendon can all be used to reconstruct the anterior cruciate ligament, posterior cruciate ligament, or collateral ligament complexes. Ultimately, the choice of graft is dependent on surgeon and patient preference, availability of graft sources, and the number of ligaments requiring reconstruction or augmentation.     

The influence of graft choice on isokinetic muscle strength 4�C24?months after anterior cruciate ligament reconstruction

Purpose  

Regaining adequate strength of the quadriceps and hamstrings after anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) reconstruction is important for maximizing functional performance. However, the outcome of muscle strength after either BPTB or hamstrings autograft is unclear given the plethora of published studies that report post-operative muscle strength. The purpose of this study was to systematically compare the muscle strength of patients who have undergone ACL reconstruction using either Bone Patellar Tendon Bone (BPTB) or Hamstrings (HST) autograft.     

Clinical outcomes of allograft versus autograft in anterior cruciate ligament reconstruction

Anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) injuries are the most common complete ligamentous injury to the knee. The optimal graft should be able to reproduce the anatomy and biomechanics of the ACL, be incorporated rapidly with strong initial fixation, and cause low graft-site morbidity. This article reviews the literature comparing the clinical outcomes following allograft and autograft ACL reconstruction and examines current issues regarding graft choice.     

Management of combined anteriorcruciate ligament/posterior cruciate ligament/posterolateral complex injuries of the knee

The multiple ligament injured knee is a complex problem in orthopedic surgery. These injuries may present as acuteknee dislocations, and careful assessment of the extremity vascular status is essential because of the possibility of arterial and/or venous compromise. These complex injuries require a systematic approach to evaluation and treatment. Physical examination and imaging studies enable the surgeon to make a correct diagnosis and formulate a treatment plan. Arthroscopically assisted combined anterior cruciate ligament/ posterior cruciate ligament (ACL/PCL) reconstruction is a reproducible procedure. Knee stability is improved postoperatively when evaluated with knee ligament rating scales, arthrometer testing, and stress radiographic analysis. Posterolateral complex (PLC) injuries combined with ACL/PCL tears are best treated with primary repair as indicated combined with PCL reconstruction using a post of strong autograft (split biceps tendon, biceps tendon, semitendinosus), or allograft (Achilles tendon, bone-patellar tendon-bone) tissue. Surgical timing depends on the injured ligaments, vascular status of the extremity, reduction stability, and overall patient health. The use of allograft tissue is preferred because of the strength of these large grafts and the absence of donor site morbidity.     

Anatomic anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) reconstruction: a global perspective. Part 1

Purpose

In August 2011, orthopaedic surgeons from more than 20 countries attended a summit on anatomic anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) reconstruction. The summit offered a unique opportunity to discuss current concepts, approaches, and techniques in the field of ACL reconstruction among leading surgeons in the field.

Methods

Five panels (with 36 panellists) were conducted on key issues in ACL surgery: anatomic ACL reconstruction, rehabilitation and return to activity following anatomic ACL reconstruction, failure after ACL reconstruction, revision anatomic ACL reconstruction, and partial ACL injuries and ACL augmentation. Panellists’ responses were secondarily collected using an online survey.

Results

Thirty-six panellists (35 surgeons and 1 physical therapist) sat on at least one panel. Of the 35 surgeons surveyed, 22 reported performing “anatomic” ACL reconstructions. The preferred graft choice was hamstring tendon autograft (53.1 %) followed by bone-patellar tendon-bone autograft (22.8 %), allograft (13.5 %), and quadriceps tendon autograft (10.6 %). Patients generally returned to play after an average of 6 months, with return to full competition after an average of 8 months. ACL reconstruction “failure” was defined by 12 surgeons as instability and pathological laxity on examination, a need for revision, and/or evidence of tear on magnetic resonance imaging. The average percentage of patients meeting the criteria for “failure” was 8.2 %.

Conclusions

These data summarize the results of five panels on anatomic ACL reconstruction. The most popular graft choice among surgeons for primary ACL reconstructions is hamstring tendon autograft, with allograft being used most frequently employed in revision cases. Nearly half of the surgeons surveyed performed both single- and double-bundle ACL reconstructions depending on certain criteria. Regardless of the technique regularly employed, there was unanimous support among surgeons for the use of “anatomic” reconstructions using bony and soft tissue remnant landmarks.

Level of evidence

V.     

Posterior cruciate ligament injuries

PCL reconstruction is not often necessary. Arthroscopic techniques using autograft or allograft substitution for the PCL probably bear more physiologic and anatomic likeness to the normal ligament than to tissue transfers posteriorly. The arthroscopic procedure is exacting and technically demanding. It is advisable to supplement the PCL reconstruction with an appropriate capsulorrhaphy when the posterior capsule, arcuate complex, or oblique popliteal ligament are also injured. In combined cruciate injuries, PCL reconstruction is notably easier when staged before reconstruction of the ACL.     

Significance of graft tension in anterior cruciate ligament reconstruction Basic background and clinical outcome

The purpose of this paper is to review scientific evidence that graft tension affects remodelling of the autograft in ligament reconstruction. The in situ freezing model of the patellar tendon, an ideal patellar tendon autograft model, demonstrated that subsequent cellular proliferation following fibroblast necrosis reduces the mechanical properties of the autograft. Stress shielding enhances reduction of the strength in the once-frozen patellar tendon. The strength of the patellar tendon also changes depending on the degree of stress shielding. Transmission electron micrographs revealed that the number of small-diameter fibrils decreases in the stress-shielded tendons compared with non-stress-shielded tendons after in situ freezing. Restressing essentially restores the mechanical properties of patellar tendon autografts even if the strength has been much reduced by complete stress shielding. The effects of restressing may depend on the period of stress shielding applied before restressing. Unphysiologically high tension significantly reduces the mechanical properties of the in situ frozen anterior cruciate ligament (ACL). Therefore, not only stress-deprivation but also stress-enhancement significantly affect the mechanical properties of tendon autografts. Results of in vivo and in vitro studies suggest that cyclic tensile loading may inhibit the deterioration in mechanical strength of the transplanted tendon. Clinically, our prospective randomized study demonstrated that a relatively high initial tension reduces the postoperative anterior laxity of the knee joint after ACL reconstruction using the doubled autogenous hamstring tendons connected in series with polyester tapes, when the tension applied is less than 80 N. Our experimental and clinical results indicate that the initial tension is one of the significant factors that affect the results of ACL reconstruction, although the optimal initial tension for the other graft materials still remains unknown.     

Allografts in the treatment of anterior cruciate ligament injuries

Symptomatic knee instability is a common complaint among athletic individuals after a torn anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) of the knee. Allograft ACL reconstruction has gained popularity for primary and revision reconstructions. This graft choice has become popular with good intermediate term results combined with decreased operative times, hospital costs, and improved immediate postoperative pain and function. Intermediate follow-up has demonstrated similar results with autograft reconstructions, without the addition of donor site morbidity. Multiple allograft options exist for ACL reconstruction. The most commonly selected grafts include patellar tendon, Achilles tendon, and tibialis allografts. The use of a tibialis allograft provides a stout graft for reconstruction, while minimizing bone tunnel size. Bone-patella-bone allografts provide bone to bone fixation options with flexibility in tunnel selection sizing.     

Delayed gastrocnemius muscle response to sudden perturbation in rehabilitated patients with anterior cruciate ligament reconstruction

This nonrandomized, posttest-only comparison between two experimental groups and a control group compared the lower extremity muscle activation latencies of patients following rehabilitated unilateral anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) reconstruction (allograft or autograft bone-patellar tendon-bone tissue) and normal control subjects. Twenty-three subjects (seven allograft, eight autograft, eight normal control) of similar age, height, weight, isokinetic knee extensor, and flexor peak torque/bodyweight, functional capability (single leg broad jump and single leg vertical jump) and recreational activity level participated in this study. Experimental group subjects were 21.3+/-5 months (allograft) and 27.6+/-10 months (autograft) after surgery. Kinematic and electromyographic data were sampled during ten randomly timed unilateral perturbations. Experimental group gastrocnemius latencies were delayed (allograft 59.5+/-25 ms, autograft 69+/-20 ms) compared to the control group (31.8+/-11 ms). The allograft (r=0.80) and autograft (r=0.40) unilateral ACL reconstruction groups displayed moderate and weak positive relationships between anterior knee laxity and knee angular displacements following perturbation, respectively. Control group subjects did not display significant relationships between these variables (r=-0.07). In the allograft group there was also a moderate inverse relationship between gastrocnemius latency and knee angular displacement following perturbation (r=-72). The autograft (r=-0.06) and control (r=-0.21) groups did not show similar relationships between these variables. Delayed gastrocnemius latencies for the experimental groups suggested prolonged neuromuscular deficits during weight-bearing dynamic knee stabilization. Knee angular displacement magnitude following sudden perturbation was related more strongly to knee laxity and gastrocnemius latency among subjects who had undergone ACL reconstruction using allograft bone-patellar tendon-bone tissue.     

Allograft reconstruction of theanterior cruciate ligament: Basic science

During the past decade, the specific use of allograft tissue for the reconstruction of the anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) deficient knee has increased significantly. The use of an allograft to reconstruct the ACL is appealing because there is no donor site morbidity for the recipient and it allows the harvesting of larger and more varied graft material. The disadvantage of an allograft includes limited availability, sterility and immunologic considerations, and potential variations in the biological response of the recipient in comparison with an autograft. Although the risk is extremely low, the greatest current concern among informed recipients is the potential for disease transmission.