TECHNICAL VARIATION IN AFFIXING HAMSTRING GRAFTS TO THE TIBIA IN ACL RECONSTRUCTION

Area of Science:

• Orthopedic surgery
• Biomedical engineering
• Sports medicine

Background:

• Anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) reconstruction is a common orthopedic procedure.
• Traditional fixation methods can be costly.
• Optimizing graft fixation and reducing costs are ongoing goals.

Purpose of the Study:

• To present a novel technical variation for tibial fixation of quadruple hamstring grafts in anatomic ACL reconstruction.
• To evaluate the potential for cost reduction in ACL reconstruction procedures.

Main Methods:

• A prospective case series of 20 patients undergoing ACL reconstruction.
• Anatomic femoral tunnel creation with outside-in technique.
• Tibial tunnel fixation using inverted hamstring autograft with staple suspension and interference screw for femoral fixation.

Main Results:

• Significant improvement in International Knee Documentation Committee (IKDC) and Lysholm knee scores at 12 months post-surgery (p<0.001).
• No major complications reported.
• Demonstrated potential for cost reduction through the use of lower-cost staple hardware.

Conclusions:

• The described technique for anatomic ACL reconstruction using inverted hamstring grafts and staple fixation yields good to excellent results at one-year follow-up.
• This method offers a viable option for reducing the overall cost of ACL reconstruction.
• The technique is suitable for clinical application, supported by positive functional outcomes and economic benefits.