Minimal tibial tunnel enlargement after anatomic rectangular tunnel anterior cruciate ligament reconstruction with bone-patellar tendon-bone graft

• Published in: Journal of orthopaedic science : official journal of the Japanese Orthopaedic Association Vol. 25; no. 4; pp. 635 - 639
• Main Authors: Okimura, Shinichiro, Shino, Konsei, Nakagawa, Shigeto, Iuchi, Ryo, Take, Yasuhiro, Mae, Tatsuo
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Japan Elsevier B.V 01.07.2020
• Subjects: Adolescent; Adult; Anterior Cruciate Ligament Reconstruction - methods; Bone-Patellar Tendon-Bone Grafting - methods; Female; Humans; Male; Tibia - diagnostic imaging; Tibia - surgery; Young Adult
• ISSN: 0949-2658; 1436-2023
• DOI: 10.1016/j.jos.2019.07.001

The purpose of this study was to evaluate the tibial tunnel enlargement after the anatomical rectangular tunnel (ART) anterior cruciate ligament reconstruction (ACLR) with a bone-patellar tendon-bone (BTB) graft and to elucidate the correlation between the enlargement and length of the tendinous portion inside the tibial tunnel. In addition, we aimed to analyze the correlation between patient characteristics and tibial tunnel enlargement. This study included 50 patients who underwent ART ACLR. Lateral radiographs at the time of surgery and at 2 years were compared to evaluate the tibial tunnel enlargement. Subsequently, correlations between the tunnel enlargement and (1) length of tendinous portion inside the tibial tunnel or (2) characteristics of the patients, including anterior knee laxity measured by KT-1000 arthrometer, age, sex, height, body weight, and Tegner activity level scale, were analyzed. The tibial tunnel was enlarged by 2.6 ± 4.2% 2 years postoperatively. The length of the tendinous portion inside the tibial tunnel was 7.8 ± 4.9 mm. There was no significant correlation between tunnel enlargement and length of tendinous portion inside the tunnel. None of the patient characteristics were detected as a risk factor for tibial tunnel enlargement. (1) The postoperative tibial tunnel enlargement was minimum after ART ACLR with a BTB graft. (2) There was no correlation between tibial tunnel enlargement and length of tendinous portion of BTB graft inside the tunnel. (3) None of the patient characteristics were detected as a risk factor of the tibial tunnel enlargement.