COMPARISON OF THE CLINICAL RESULTS FROM THE RECONSTRUCTION OF АCL WITH AUTOGRAFT AND ALLOGRAFT TISSUE

Area of Science:

• Orthopedic Surgery
• Sports Medicine
• Rehabilitation Science

Background:

• Anterior Cruciate Ligament (ACL) injuries cause knee instability, leading to secondary damage of menisci and cartilage.
• Active individuals, particularly amateur athletes and military personnel, are most affected by ACL injuries.
• ACL injury rates are significant, with specific concerns for increasing trends in women.

Purpose of the Study:

• To compare clinical outcomes of ACL reconstruction using autograft versus allograft.
• To evaluate the effectiveness of a standardized, multi-phase rehabilitation protocol post-ACL reconstruction.
• To assess functional recovery and strength symmetry between autograft and allograft groups.

Main Methods:

• Two groups of 25 patients underwent ACL reconstruction: one with autograft (Semitendinosus et Gracillis) and one with allograft (BTB donor tissue).
• Patients followed a five-phase, standardized rehabilitation program with gradual loading and physiotherapist feedback over 18 months.
• Clinical outcomes were assessed using the International Knee Documentation Committee (IKDC) and Lysholm scores, alongside a novel 'Power test' measuring limb strength symmetry.

Main Results:

• IKDC scores favored the autograft group (92.82), while Lysholm scores favored the allograft group (92.24).
• The 'Power test' revealed statistically significant superior symmetry in flexion and extension strength for the allograft group compared to the autograft group.
• No significant difference in re-rupture frequency was observed between the autograft and allograft groups.

Conclusions:

• A standardized rehabilitation protocol focusing on gradual load progression yields comparable re-rupture rates for both ACL autograft and allograft reconstructions.
• While specific functional scores varied, the overall rehabilitation approach proved effective across both graft types.
• The novel 'Power test' indicated potential advantages in strength symmetry with allografts, warranting further investigation.