A prospective study to evaluate the clinico-radiological outcomes of arthroscopic single bundle versus double bundle...

The aim of the study was to compare clinical and radiological outcomes of arthroscopic single-bundle versus double-bundle anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) reconstruction.

60 patients with isolated ACL injury were divided into single bundle (SB) (n = 30) and double bundle (DB) reconstruction groups (n = 30) and operated between July 2009 and July 2012. Outcome evaluation was performed using GNRB arthrometer, International Knee Documentation Committee & Lysholm scale. Rotational stability was determined by lateral pivot-shift test. Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) was performed postoperatively to compare the reconstructed ACL graft orientation.

Average follow-up was 34.8 months in SB and 36.2 months in DB group. At final follow-up, mean Lysholm score was 94.13 ± 2.67 in SB and 93.13 ± 3.31 in DB group (P value = 0.202, statistically non-significant). All patients in both groups were in grade A or B according to objective IKDC scores. Mean differential anterior tibial translation was 1.45 ± 0.6 mm in SB and 1.17 ± 0.8 mm in DB group (P value = 0.105, NS). All had negative pivot shift test in DB group while 2 patients had positive pivot shift in SB group. MRI of operated knees showed that values of mean sagittal ACL graft-tibial angle and mean coronal ACL graft-tibial angle were comparable in both groups (P value > 0.05, NS).

There was no statistically significant difference concerning knee stability, knee scores, subjective evaluations, and MRI evaluation of graft inclination angles between single- and double-bundle ACL reconstruction groups at an average of 35 months of follow-up.