EXTRA-ARTICULAR RECONSTRUCTION ASSOCIATED WITH THE ANTERIOR CRUCIATE LIGAMENT IN BRAZIL

To assess the knowledge and technical preferences of Brazilian knee surgeons in relation to the treatment of Anterior Cruciate Ligament (ACL) injuries using intra-articular reconstruction in combination with extra-articular reconstruction.

A questionnaire consisting of 16 questions about intra-articular ACL reconstruction in combination with extra-articular procedures and about the Anterolateral Ligament (ALL) was applied at the 48^th Brazilian Congress of Orthopedics.

One hundred thirty-seven surgeons answered the questionnaire. Most surgeons perform 10-30 ACL reconstructions per year, with the transtibial technique appearing as the most common. Most surgeons find some percentage of residual pivot-shift after reconstructions, but the minority performs extra-articular procedures on a routine basis. The main indications for extra-articular reconstruction are revision and profuse pivot-shift cases. Most surgeons consider the ALL a true ligament, but 46.7% with less biomechanical importance and 32.3% with greater importance in knee stability. However, 91.4% had a positive perception of the reconstruction of this structure.

Although the preferred technique is still the transtibial procedure, combined anatomical reconstructions already make up more than 50% of cases. Extra-articular reconstructions associated with the ACL are still performed by the minority of Brazilian surgeons, but 91.4% of them report having had a positive perception with their reconstruction.