Quadriceps and hamstring anterior cruciate ligament reconstruction differ only marginally in function after the rehabilitation: a propensity score-matched case-control study.

PURPOSE: To determine potential quadriceps versus hamstring tendon autograft differences in neuromuscular function and return to sport (RTS)-success in participants after an anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) reconstruction. METHODS: Case-control study on 25 participants operated on with an arthroscopically assisted, anatomic ipsilateral quadriceps femoris tendon graft and two control groups of 25 participants each, operated on with a semitendinosus tendon or semitendinosus-gracilis (hamstring) tendon graft ACL reconstruction. Participants of the two control groups were propensity score matched to the case group based on sex, age, Tegner activity scale and either the total volume of rehabilitation since reconstruction (n = 25) or the time since reconstruction (n = 25). At the end of the rehabilitation (averagely 8 months post-reconstruction), self-reported knee function (KOOS sum scores), fear of loading the reconstructed knee during a sporting activity (RSI-ACL questionnaire), and fear of movement (Tampa scale of kinesiophobia) were followed by hop and jump tests. Front hops for distance (jumping distance as the outcome) were followed by Drop jumps (normalised knee joint separation distance), and concluded by qualitative ratings of the Balanced front and side hops. Between-group comparisons were undertaken using 95% confidence intervals comparisons, effect sizes were calculated. RESULTS: The quadriceps case group (always compared with the rehabilitation-matched hamstring graft controls first and versus time-matched hamstring graft controls second) had non-significant and only marginal higher self-reported issues during sporting activities: Cohen's d = 0.42, d = 0.44, lower confidence for RTS (d = - 0.30, d = - 0.16), and less kinesiophobia (d = - 0.25, d = 0.32). Small and once more non-significant effect sizes point towards lower values in the quadriceps graft groups in the Front hop for distance limb symmetry values in comparison to the two hamstring control groups (d = - 0.24, d = - 0.35). The normalised knee joint separation distance were non-significantly and small effect sized higher in the quadriceps than in the hamstring groups (d = 0.31, d = 0.28). CONCLUSION: Only non-significant and marginal between-graft differences in the functional outcomes at the end of the rehabilitation occurred. The selection of either a hamstring or a quadriceps graft type cannot be recommended based on the results. The decision must be undertaken individually. LEVEL OF EVIDENCE: III.

Function and strain of the anterolateral ligament part II: reconstruction.

PURPOSE: Anterolateral rotatory instability (ALRI) may result from isolated ruptures of the anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) or combined lesions with the anterolateral ligament (ALL). Biomechanical studies have demonstrated that the ALL contributes to the overall rotational stability of the knee. The purpose of this study was to investigate the biomechanical function of anatomic ALL reconstruction (ALLrec) in the setting of a combined ACL and ALL injury and reconstruction. The hypothesis was that combined ACL reconstruction (ACLrec) and ALLrec (ACL/ALLrec) significantly reduces internal rotation and shows load sharing between both reconstructions compared with isolated ACLrec. METHODS: Eight fresh-frozen cadaveric knees were evaluated using a six degrees of freedom knee simulator. Continuous passive motion and external loads were tested. Kinematic differences between ACLrec and combined ACL/ALLrec were compared. Additionally, ACL graft tension and ALL graft strain were measured continuously throughout the testing protocol. RESULTS: Combined anatomic ACL/ALLrec significantly improved the internal rotatory stability compared with isolated ACLrec at 30°-90° under an internal rotation moment. During a static pivot-shift test, additional ALLrec showed no significant reduction of ap-translation. ALLrec resulted in an increase in ACL graft tension during continuous passive motion and with additional internal rotation moment. CONCLUSION: In the case of a combined ACL and ALL deficiency, concurrent ACLrec and ALLrec significantly improved the rotatory stability of the knee compared with solely reconstructing the ACL at flexion angles ≥ 30°. Nevertheless, additional ALLrec with fixation at 60° and with low tension could not restore extension-near rotatory stability. For that reason, ALLrec with fixation at 60° flexion cannot be recommended in clinical application.