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Author Spotlight: Investigating Early Events and Long-Term Effects of ACL Injuries for Osteoarthritis Progression
Published on: September 29, 2023
A Squeaking Knee Is a Rare Complication of ACL Surgery: A Case Report
Philip M Frazer1,2, William Talbot1
1Department of Orthopaedics, Gold Coast Hospital and Health Service, Gold Coast, Queensland, Australia.
Case:
We report a rare case of a 36-year-old woman who underwent anterior cruciate ligament surgery (ACL), which was complicated by a squeaking knee postoperatively. The squeaking noise was likely due to migrating nonabsorbable suture engaging with the articular surface and created significant psychological stress but had no impact on the functional outcome of the patient. We eliminated the noise with an arthroscopic debridement of the suture that had migrated from the tibial tunnel.
Conclusion:
A squeaking knee after ACL surgery due to migrating suture is a rare complication that, in this case, improved with surgical debridement and diagnostic imaging seems to have a limited role.

