Active knee joint subluxation: its influence on the prognosis of ligament reconstruction

Voluntary subluxation of the knee, known as active pivot shift, can be observed in a minority of patients with anterior cruciate ligament deficiency knees. We compared a group of 7 patients exhibiting voluntary subluxation of the knee joint with a group of 61 patients undergoing a similar operative procedure who did not demonstrate this sign. Despite similar age and similar operative procedures, the former group remained handicapped and regained the ability to subluxate the knee. We conclude that patients who exhibit voluntary subluxation of the knee joint are poor candidates for knee-ligament reconstruction.