Functional outcome in arthroscopic anterior cruciate ligament reconstruction by suspensory fixation in comparison with aperture fixation method

Abstract

Background: Arthroscopic anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) reconstruction with suspensory and aperture fixation methods has been proposed to recreate the natural anatomy of ACL. Reconstruction of the anatomy of the ACL has been thought to be able to restore the rotational stability of the knee joint. Nevertheless, it remains unclear whether the suspensory fixation method has a better functional outcome than the aperture fixation method.Aim: To assess the clinical outcome of Arthroscopic ACL Reconstruction using suspensory fixation and aperture fixation methods. Methods: We prospectively followed 40 patients with an isolated ACL injury operated for ACL reconstruction after applying the inclusion and exclusion criteria. Patients were evaluated pre-operatively and in the post-operative period at regular intervals with the minimum follow up of 6 months. Functional outcome was evaluated by the Modified Lysholm knee score. Clinical stability was assessed by Lachman, anterior drawer, and pivot shift tests. Results: Functional outcome in terms of Lysholm score was satisfactory at the end of six months with both suspensory and aperture fixation methods. Graded stability results of the Lachman, anterior drawer and pivot shift tests were almost near to that in the normal knee with both the methods. Conclusion: ACL reconstruction by suspensory and aperture fixation methods seem to offer satisfactory results in terms of subjective scores and stability tests in patients with ACL tears, with no particular clinical advantage of one method over the other.