Clinical study of anatomical ACL reconstruction using a rounded rectangular dilator.

Area of Science:

• Orthopedic surgery
• Sports medicine
• Biomedical engineering

Background:

• Anterior Cruciate Ligament (ACL) reconstruction is a common orthopedic procedure.
• Traditional ACL reconstruction techniques utilize conventional round femoral tunnels.
• Potential for improved clinical outcomes and reduced bone tunnel enlargement exists with novel surgical approaches.

Purpose of the Study:

• To compare clinical outcomes between rounded rectangular femoral tunnel ACL reconstruction (RFTR) and conventional round femoral tunnel ACL reconstruction.
• To evaluate differences in knee stability, patient-reported scores, and bone tunnel enlargement between the two techniques.
• To investigate the efficacy of a newly developed rounded rectangular dilator for ACL surgery.

Main Methods:

• Retrospective study comparing 40 patients in the RFTR group with 40 in the conventional anatomical single-bundle ACL reconstruction (ASBR) group.
• Evaluation of knee stability (anterior tibial translation), Lysholm knee score, and IKDC subjective score at 2 years post-surgery.
• Measurement of bone tunnel enlargement ratio for both surgical techniques.

Main Results:

• The RFTR group demonstrated a larger average femoral tunnel area (53.1 mm² vs. 46.1 mm²; P < 0.01).
• RFTR showed significantly better anteroposterior stability (0.6 mm vs. 1.6 mm; P < 0.01) and higher Lysholm scores (98.5 vs. 97.5; P < 0.01).
• Bone tunnel enlargement ratio was significantly lower in the RFTR group (73% vs. 107%; P < 0.01).

Conclusions:

• A novel rounded rectangular dilator was developed for ACL reconstruction.
• The RFTR technique creates a larger bone tunnel compared to conventional methods.
• RFTR leads to improved clinical results, including better knee stability and reduced bone tunnel enlargement.