Knee imaging after anterior cruciate ligament reconstruction

An increasing number of reconstructions of the anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) are performed every year, due to both the increasing occurrence of sport related injuries and the development of diagnostic and surgical techniques. The most used surgical procedure for the torn ACL reconstruction is the use of autogenous material, most often the patellar and semitendinosus tendons. Magnetic resonance (MR) imaging and spiral-CT performed after arthrography with multiplanar reconstructions are the imaging methods of choice for post-operative evaluation of ACL ligamentoplasty. This paper provides a brief bibliographic and more extensive pictorial review of the normal evolution and possible complications after ACL repair.