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Published on: October 20, 2023
Outcomes of an anatomic posterolateral knee reconstruction: surgical technique
Robert F LaPrade1, Steinar Johansen, Lars Engebretsen
1Department of Orthopaedic Surgery, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, Minnesota, USA. drlaprade@sprivail.org
Background:
Chronic posterolateral knee injuries often result in substantial patient morbidity and functional instability. The clinical stability and functional outcomes following anatomic reconstructions in patients with a chronic posterolateral knee injury have not been determined, to our knowledge.
Methods:
A two-center outcomes study of sixty-four patients with grade-3 chronic posterolateral instability was performed. The patients were evaluated subjectively with the modified Cincinnati and International Knee Documentation Committee (IKDC) subjective scores and objectively with the IKDC objective score.
Results:
Eighteen patients had an isolated posterolateral knee reconstruction, and forty-six patients underwent a single-stage multiple-ligament reconstruction that included reconstruction of one or both cruciate ligaments along with the posterolateral knee reconstruction. The average duration of follow-up was 4.3 years. The fifty-four patients who were available for follow-up had an average total Cincinnati score of 65.7 points. A significant improvement was found between the preoperative and postoperative IKDC objective scores for varus opening at 20°, external rotation at 30°, reverse pivot shift, and single-leg hop.
Conclusions:
An anatomic posterolateral reconstruction resulted in improved clinical outcomes and objective stability for patients with a grade-3 posterolateral knee injury.