Semitendinosus Kennedy ligament augmentation device anterior cruciate ligament reconstruction

This is a prospective study of 78 chronic unilateral isolated anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) patients who were treated with an arthroscopically-assisted reconstruction technique using the semitendinosus tendon, occasionally associated with the gracilis, augmented with the Kennedy-ligament augmentation device (LAD). There was a minimum two-year follow-up period (mean, 34.3 months; range, 24-50 months). Ligamentous surgery was always restricted to the ACL intraarticular reconstruction. Preoperative, intraoperative, and postoperative examinations at three, six, 12, 18, and 24 months, and every year thereafter, including subjective and objective evaluation with KT 1000 arthrometer laxity measurements, were completed. Two-year examination data were available on 77 (98.7%) of the 78 patients compared with preoperative data. The pivot shift (side-to-side difference) improved from 49.3% with Grade 0-1 to 92.2% with Grade 0-1. KT 1000 20-pound anterior drawer (greater than 5 mm side-to-side difference) improved from 49.3% (mean, 6 mm) to 91.1% (mean, 0.55 mm). KT 1000 maximum manual anterior drawer (greater than 5 mm side-to-side difference) improved from 21.9% (mean, 7.8 mm) to 97.4% (mean, 0.55 mm). After ACL reconstruction, 89.6% of patients had a full range of motion and only 10.3% had flexion contractures of less than 5 degrees; 5.2% of patients had mild effusion. Functional Lysholm knee scoring of 100 points improved from 7.7% scoring over 85 points preoperatively (mean, 66.5) to 92.1% postoperatively (mean, 95.6). Instability was controlled in 89.4% of the patients, and 71.4% have been involved in sports after injury. Anterior cruciate ligament reconstruction reduces pathologic laxity, improves lower-leg function, and minimizes flexion contracture and effusion.