Reconstruction of the anterior cruciate ligament

Ligaments are strong collagenous structures that act as constraints on joint motion, thus confining the articular surfaces to more or less the same paths. In so doing they prevent arbitrary apposition of these surfaces from occurring and resulting in abnormal stresses which may damage the joint surfaces. Ligaments rupture due to excessive loads, particularly those resulting from trauma occurring during sporting events or motor vehicle accidents. Knee and ankle joints have the highest frequency of ligamentous injuries. This paper is a brief review of the current approaches to the reconstruction of the knee ligaments with specific reference to the anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) being the most frequently reconstructed. This is not only because it is frequently injured but also because of the debilitating consequences of such an injury. Approaches ranging from the conservative to those that advocate the use of frank prosthetic replacement have been adopted by surgeons at both ends of the spectrum. Following a discussion of the rationale for reconstruction of the ACL, the mechanical and biological considerations of the reconstructive procedure are discussed. The different methods of ACL reconstruction are reviewed. These include: (a) primary repair, (b) reconstruction with different tissues, including autogenous allografts and xenografts, (c) reconstruction employing different synthetic devices. A brief discussion of the procedures used for reconstruction with different types of tissue and of the surviving examples of the synthetic devices will follow.