Anterior knee pain following BPTB graft harvest. Reality or overhyped

The patellar tendon graft has long been the gold standard for ACL reconstruction. Recently semitendinosus and gracilis tendons graft have been used increasingly. We hypothetise that the Bone-Patella Tendon-Bone graft is a good and economical graft for the Indian population with no adverse effects of anterior knee pain or patellar tendon shortening. We believe that the early squatting and cross-legged sitting causes early and constant stretching of the tendon in our patients. This is responsible for the lesser incidences of adverse effects in the Indian population.

In a retrospective study, the hospital database was scrutinized to shortlist patients who had undergone a bone-patella tendon-bone harvest for ACL or PCL reconstruction before 2013. Each patient was evaluated using the Lysholm score and the KOOS Score. VAS was also used, to evaluate for the amount of pain experienced by patients. The analysis of the quadriceps power along with the presence or absence of any extensor lag was made too. The modified Insall Salvati index was also calculated.

Forty-seven patients were shortlisted of which 25 patients were followed up with an average follow up of 94.5 months. Although some patients did complain of occasional pain with the average VAS score of 1.45; on analyzing the data it was evident that all our patients had excellent quadriceps power (5/5) with no extensor lag. The mean Lysholm score was 95.55, while the mean KOOS score was 94.17. The mean Insall index of 1.05 showed no significant patella baja in any of our patients.

It is ascertained that no significant retro-patellar pain or shortening of the patellar tendon occurs following a bone patella tendon bone harvest. The bone patella bone tendon graft is a suitable graft for ligament reconstruction with good functional outcome, and no significant adverse effect of patella baja or anterior knee pain in the Indian patients.

Level IV.