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Updated: Aug 14, 2026

Surgical Retrieval, Isolation and In vitro Expansion of Human Anterior Cruciate Ligament-derived Cells for Tissue Engineering Applications
Published on: April 30, 2014
Generation of 5-Strand Hamstring Autograft for Anterior Cruciate Ligament Reconstruction-A Technical Note
Edgar Garcia-Lopez1, Ramesh B Ghanta1, Ryan T Halvorson1
1Department of Orthopaedic Surgery, University of California San Francisco, San Francisco, California, U.S.A.
Abstract:
Hamstring tendons are a very commonly used autograft for anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) reconstruction. Given that larger hamstring graft diameter has been shown to positively affect outcomes after ACL reconstruction, several techniques have been developed to optimize this variable. In this technical note, we describe the operative technique for generation of a 5-strand hamstring autograft via tripling of the semitendinosus tendon and doubling of the gracilis tendon, which can serve to maximize graft diameter, especially in patient populations with undersized hamstring tendons at baseline.

