FUNCTIONAL OUTCOMES AFTER ARTHROSCOPIC ANTERIOR CRUCIATE LIGAMENT RECONSTRUCTION USING HAMSTRING AUTOGRAFT: A PROSPECTIVE STUDY
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.48047/vddrv747Keywords:
anterior cruciate ligament, ; hamstring autograft, arthroscopy, IKDC, return to sport, limb symmetryAbstract
Abstract
Background: Arthroscopic anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) reconstruction with a quadrupled hamstring tendon autograft is a widely used technique for the ACL-deficient knee, but functional recovery and return-to-sport in a consecutive prospective cohort deserve continued documentation.
Objectives: To evaluate functional, clinical and stability outcomes at 6 and 12 months after arthroscopic ACL reconstruction using hamstring autograft, and to describe return to sport and complications.
Methods: A prospective cohort of 120 patients undergoing primary arthroscopic single-bundle ACL reconstruction with a four-strand semitendinosus–gracilis autograft was assessed preoperatively and at 6 and 12 months. Outcomes included the International Knee Documentation Committee (IKDC) subjective score, Lysholm score, visual analogue scale (VAS) for pain, Tegner activity level, range of motion, single-leg-hop and isokinetic limb-symmetry indices (LSI), Lachman and pivot-shift tests, return to sport and complications. Paired comparisons used the paired t test.
Results: The cohort (mean age 26.9 ± 6.4 years; 69.2% male) improved markedly from baseline to 12 months. Mean IKDC rose from 50.0 ± 9.4 to 89.7 ± 5.3 and Lysholm from 59.4 ± 8.8 to 92.8 ± 4.1 (both p < 0.001); VAS pain fell from 4.4 ± 1.6 to 0.9 ± 0.5 (p < 0.001). At 12 months, 71.7% had a negative Lachman and 75.8% a negative pivot-shift test; mean single-leg-hop LSI was 92.5 ± 7.6%. Return to sport at any level occurred in 48.3%, and 42.5% returned to their pre-injury Tegner level at 12 months. Complications occurred in 7 patients (5.8%) and graft failure in 2 (1.7%).
Conclusion: Arthroscopic hamstring-autograft ACL reconstruction produced large, statistically significant improvements in knee-specific function, pain and stability by 12 months, with a low complication rate; recovery of pre-injury sporting level within one year remained incomplete, underscoring the value of structured rehabilitation and realistic counselling
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