Revision anterior cruciate ligament reconstruction using the lateral third of the ipsilateral patellar tendon after failure of a central-third graft: a preliminary report on 10 patients

Long-term outcomes were reported for 10 (77%) of 13 cases of revision anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) reconstruction using the lateral third of the ipsilateral patellar tendon as a graft. All primary ACL reconstructions were ipsilateral central-third bone-patellar tendon-bone graft procedures. Mean age at follow-up was 30.7 years, and mean time from revision ACL surgery to follow-up was 42.9 months. At follow-up, average KT-1000 difference between knees was 2.4 mm. All patients had a negative pivot shift, extension within 5 degrees of the contralateral knee, and flexion within 15 degrees. Mean bilateral comparison ratios for isokinetic strength and hop testing were: extension, 83.5%; flexion, 96%; and single-leg hop 96.9%. No patella fractures or tendon ruptures had occurred. All patients had returned to their previous work level, and 8 of the 10 patients could participate in at least "moderate" sports activities (e.g., skiing and tennis). The results were comparable to published outcome reports for both primary and revision ACL reconstruction. The lateral third of the ipsilateral patellar tendon is a good graft option for revision ACL reconstruction.