[Suture of the anterior cruciate ligament--what is the real value of this method?]

After suture of the anterior cruciate ligament without anatomical augmentation, used as a routine method, 88 patients were followed up after a minimum of 2 years using the Lysholm score and the activity scale. Residual laxity was checked clinically and with the KT-1000. For comparison, 20 patients with chronic symptomatic anterolateral instability were followed up who had been operated on using the Eriksson technique during the same time period. Postoperative treatment was a limited functional approach. The peripheral ligament structures were treated following the Hughston and Müller principles. In two-thirds of the knees lateral tenodesis was added. The results of the suture method were disappointing and inferior to the results obtained by the Eriksson technique (trend). The Lysholm score was 77 and 82, respectively. The activity scale was 4.4 (recreational sports) for both groups. The Lachmann sign (KT-1000) in side-to-side comparison (89 N) showed a residual laxity of 1.9 mm and 0.8 mm (average), respectively. In no series was tractopexy of demonstrable advantage. The final conclusion must be that the suture method (with iliotibial tract tenodesis) is not superior to guided conservative treatment. Despite an unfavorable situation preoperatively, the (abandoned) technique of ligament substitution is superior to the suture method (trend). In isokinetic testing dominant knees fare better. In good results, a high hamstrings-quadriceps ratio is typical. The reasons for this are not well-trained hamstrings, but the relative insufficiency of the quadriceps mechanism.