Anterior Cruciate Ligament Hybrid Remnant Preserving Reconstruction With Bone-Patellar Tendon-Bone Autograft: A...

Anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) ruptures occur frequently, with ACL reconstruction among the most commonly performed orthopaedic sports surgeries. The remnant ACL is typically debrided for visualization. However, further evidence has suggested that this remnant tissue contains a wealth of proprioceptive nerve fibers and a vascular blood supply. Theoretically, preserving the ACL remnant may improve joint proprioception and graft synovialization. Therefore, ACL hybrid remnant preservation reconstruction (HRPR) was developed to preserve and tension the native remnant in combination with an ACL reconstruction.

Patients with proximal tears or femoral-sided avulsions, Sherman type 1 or 2, may be indicated for ACL-HRPR.

In this technique, we use a bone-patellar tendon-bone (BTB) autograft, which can be harvested based on the surgeon's preference. After performing a diagnostic arthroscopy, the notch of the knee is debrided, with care to preserve the tibial ACL remnant. The tibial remnant is then undermined with electrocautery. Nonabsorbable suture is passed through the remnant tissue. A tibial guide is placed, and a pin is drilled just posterior to the tibial insertion. Next, the appropriately sized tibial tunnel is drilled just posterior to the tibial remnant insertion. Using an anteromedial-portal technique with the knee maximally flexed, an over-the-top guide with appropriate offset is used to insert the guide pin, and the femoral tunnel is drilled. The proximal graft bone block and the remnant sutures are then passed through the femoral tunnel. Metal screws are then inserted to fix the BTB graft bone blocks on the femoral side, followed by the tibial side. Backup fixation is also used by placing a biocomposite anchor 1 cm distal to the tibial tunnel.

A myriad of techniques exist for preserving the ACL remnant. For the present surgical technique, a retrospective cohort revealed that patients undergoing ACL-HRPR achieved full range of motion without extension loss and equivalent patient-reported outcomes, without increased complication rates.

For patients with femoral-sided ACL tears or avulsion, ACL-HRPR is a viable option that may augment traditional ACL reconstruction.

The author(s) attests that consent has been obtained from any patient(s) appearing in this publication. If the individual may be identifiable, the author(s) has included a statement of release or other written form of approval from the patient(s) with this submission for publication.