[Anterior cruciate ligament-plasty using the "U-dos" technique]

The knee is a compound diarthrodial joint, vulnerable to serious injuries such as ligament injuries of: medial collateral ligament, lateral collateral ligament, anterior cruciate ligament and posterior cruciate ligament, as cruciate ligaments limit rotation movement in the joint. The purpose of our study was to create a new technique to treat injuries of the anterior cruciate ligament, which is composed of two bundles--anteromedial and posterolateral--trying to achieve an anatomical reconstruction that allows for a normal biomechanical recovery. This technique reduces the use of fixation material and costs. The diagnosis of anterior cruciate ligament injuries was made with the pivot shift test. There are currently two repair methods for anterior cruciate ligament injuries: single bundle or double bundle repair; none of these techniques is considered as the gold standard, as their results are very similar. This paper describes a technique used for the treatment of anterior cruciate ligament injuries, known as "U-dos", and its clinical results. Cross-sectional, observational study that enrolled 20 patients with total anterior cruciate ligament injuries who underwent anterior cruciate ligament plasty using the "U-dos" technique between June 2009 and June 2010. The technique requires the use of bone bank allograft, in this case of the anterior tibial ligament. Patients were assessed using the Lysholm scale and the pivot shift test. Our results show that all the pivot shift tests were negative and assessments according to the Lysholm scale were from normal to excellent in 95% of cases (19/20). Only one failure was reported, with avulsion of the graft attachment which required a surgical intervention.