Premature knee osteoarthritis after anterior cruciate ligament reconstruction dependent on autograft

Anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) reconstructions are common postoperative orthopedic conditions encountered by sports rehabilitation specialists. The rationale for reconstructing the ACL is to restore mechanical stability of the knee joint and prevent associated musculoskeletal sequelae. The selection of available autogenous graft options for surgical interventions continues to be a controversial topic in orthopedic sports medicine. Two established methods for reconstructing the ACL include using the ipsilateral patellar tendon or the semitendinosus and gracilis tendons. Both procedures yield advantages and disadvantages. However, a current outcome trend suggests that the bone-patellar tendon-bone (BPTB) procedure may serve as a catalyst for accelerating the progression of knee osteoarthritis. Such a consequence poses unique athletic health care concerns, especially with the increased incidence of ACL injuries and reconstructions among younger individuals. Therefore, implementing a semitendinosus and gracilis (STG) technique for ACL reconstruction may provide a means of decreasing the incidence of premature tibiofemoral or patellofemoral osteoarthritis in the physically active population. Sports rehabilitation specialists must be aware of this phenomenon to help sports medicine personnel and physically active patients identify expected trend outcomes with diverse ACL-reconstruction methods.