Comparison of medium-term revision rates after autograft and allograft anterior cruciate ligament reconstruction

The present study investigates time until revision and revision rates, and their relationship with gender and age, among 267 patients with anterior cruciate ligament tears treated with autograft and allograft reconstructions.

A retrospective evaluation was carried out based on data collected on 269 knees (bone-patellar tendon-bone autograft in 25, gracilis-semitendinosus autograft in 136, quadriceps autograft in two, allograft in 106) belonging to 267 patients who underwent an anterior cruciate ligament reconstruction between 2009 and 2018.

Of the 269 knees of the 267 patients (22 women and 247 men) operated on for an anterior cruciate ligament rupture, an autograft was used in 163, and nine of those required revision, while an allograft was used in 106 knees, and seven required revision. Revision surgery was necessary for six out of the 22 female patients and for only 10 out of the 247 male patients (p<0.001).

Each type of graft used for treatment is associated with certain advantages and disadvantages. Hamstring autografts and allografts were the most commonly used grafts during the anterior cruciate ligament reconstruction surgeries carried out at our clinics. The rate of re-rupture was quite low with use of both graft types, leading us to believe that the type of graft preferred for anterior cruciate ligament reconstruction surgery should be based on a common decision of the surgeon and patient.

Allograft, Anterior cruciate ligament, Autograft, Loosening, Revision.