[InternalBrace ACL Repair - First Experiences and Outcomes]

Area of Science:

• Orthopedic Surgery
• Sports Medicine
• Biomedical Engineering

Background:

• Anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) rupture management aims to restore knee function and proprioception.
• Arthroscopic suture with InternalBrace ligament augmentation is an emerging technique for ACL repair.
• Evaluating early clinical outcomes and failure rates of this novel ACL repair method is essential.

Purpose of the Study:

• To present the initial experience and clinical outcomes of arthroscopic ACL repair using InternalBrace augmentation.
• To assess the efficacy of InternalBrace augmentation in maintaining native knee kinematics and proprioception.
• To compare clinical outcomes with existing literature and identify potential failure factors.

Main Methods:

• A cohort of 46 patients with acute ACL rupture underwent arthroscopic ACL repair with InternalBrace augmentation.
• Follow-up was conducted for a minimum of 12 months postoperatively.
• Clinical evaluation included Tegner Activity Scale, IKDC subjective scale, and Tegner Lysholm Knee Scoring Scale, assessed preoperatively and at 6 and 12 months.

Main Results:

• Twenty patients were evaluated, with 3 failures (15%) requiring revision ACL reconstruction.
• Significant improvements in Tegner, Lysholm, and IKDC scores were observed by 6 months postoperatively, with no significant changes at 12 months.
• Average scores improved from preoperative values (Tegner 8.2, Lysholm 66.4, IKDC 49.8) to 6-month post-surgery values (Tegner 7.35, Lysholm 90.7, IKDC 87.7).

Conclusions:

• Arthroscopic ACL repair with InternalBrace augmentation provides very good clinical outcomes by 6 months postoperatively.
• The technique facilitates a rapid return to full load for athletes and may help prevent post-traumatic arthritis.
• Strict adherence to indication criteria is vital for success; further long-term studies with larger cohorts are needed.