Management of combined anterior or posterior cruciate ligament and posterolateral corner injuries: a systematic review.

BACKGROUND: Combined injuries to the posterolateral corner and cruciate ligaments are uncommon. The heterogeneity of injury patterns in many studies complicates the assessment of outcomes. OBJECTIVE: To assess the prognosis and functional outcomes after surgery for combined injuries to the posterolateral corner and to the anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) or posterior cruciate ligament (PCL). MATERIAL AND METHODS: We systematically reviewed the literature for articles reporting outcomes 1 year or more after surgery for combined injuries to the posterolateral corner and ACL (n=4) or PCL (n=9). Patients with bicruciate injuries were not studied. RESULTS: Overall, 65% of patients were IKDC A or B after surgery. The mean Lysholm score improved from 67 to 90. Mean time to surgery was 4.43 months in the group with ACL tears and 18.4 months in the group with PCL tears, and mean follow-up was 34.4 and 40.7 months in these two groups, respectively. In the groups with ACL and PCL tears, the proportions of patients classified as IKDC A or B at last follow-up were 81.6% and 81.0%, respectively, whereas 88% and 99% of patients, respectively, were IKDC grade C or D before surgery. The mean Lysholm score improved from 77 to 92 in the group with ACL tears and from 65 to 89 in the group with PCL tears. Improvements in laxity ranged from 28% to 79% in the group with PCL tears. DISCUSSION: Most of the articles selected for our review provided level III or IV evidence. Functional outcomes were satisfactory but less good than those reported after surgical reconstruction of isolated cruciate ligament tears. Full reconstruction seems the best strategy in patients with combined ACL/posterolateral corner injuries. Outcomes were also good but more variable in the group with PCL/posterolateral corner injuries. The time to surgery, which reflected the time to diagnosis, was shorter in patients with ACL than with PCL tears in addition to the posterolateral corner injury. LEVEL OF EVIDENCE: Level III (systematic literature review).

Surgical management of combined anterior or posterior cruciate ligament and posterolateral corner tears: for what functional results?

INTRODUCTION: Management of combined anterior or posterior cruciate ligament and posterolateral corner tears is still poorly codified. The aim of this study was to evaluate functional outcome after complete surgical treatment. MATERIALS AND METHODS: This retrospective multicenter study included 53 patients. Mean age was 29.8 yrs. (15-49). The anterior and posterior cruciate ligaments were involved in respectively 48 and 5 cases. Mean time to surgery was 25.6 months (0-184), and in 10 cases less than 21 days. Nine patients were sedentary workers and 29 non-sedentary (13 laborers). All ligament injuries were treated surgically. Mean follow-up was 49 months (12-146). Last follow-up assessment used IKDC, Lysholm and KOOS scores. RESULTS: At last follow-up, IKDC score graded 14 patients A, 25 B, 8 C and 6 D, versus 0 A, 4 B, 25 C, 22 D and 2 ungraded preoperatively. Mean subjective IKDC and Lysholm scores were respectively 72.8 (11.5-100) and 77.5 (37-100). Mean KOOS scores (pain, symptoms, daily life, sports, quality of life) were respectively 78 (3-100), 70 (25-100), 88 (47-100), 53 (0-100) and 50 (0-100). Posterolateral laxity was corrected in all but two cases. All sedentary workers and 86.7% of non-sedentary workers could return to work. The job had to be changed in 10% of cases overall, but in 25% of cases for laborers. DISCUSSION: The present results are comparable with those of the literature. The strategy of combined surgical treatment showed functional efficacy, usually associated with return to work except for some laborers. There was a non-significant trend in favor of acute-phase ligament reconstruction. LEVEL OF EVIDENCE: IV (retrospective series).