06.02.14
Allografts can produce good clinical outcomes and a low failure rate in young, active patients who undergo anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) reconstruction, according to recent research.
“You need to know where the grafts are, whether they are irradiated or processed, you have to slow down the rehab,” Thomas R. Carter, M.D., said.
Carter and colleagues performed ACL reconstruction on 42 patients with an average perioperative age of 17 years, 7 months. They used fresh-frozen, non-irradiated tibialis for 26 patients and Achilles tendon allografts from a single tissue bank for 16 patients during a 3-year period. Isolated ACL reconstruction was performed in 24 cases while 13 patients required simultaneous meniscus repair and 5 patients need concurrent partial meniscectomy. Average follow-up was 64 months. Metrics of evaluation were IKDC objective and subjective forms, KT-1000 measurement and Lysholm scores.
They found that IKDC objective ratings were an A in 30 cases, B in 6 cases and one failure, noted as D, while KT-1000 differences were 0 millimeters in three cases, 1 millimeter in 23 cases, 2 millimeters in eight cases, 3 millimeters in one case and one failure. The average IKDC subjective score was 90.2 while the average Lysholm score was 91. 76 percent of patients believed they returned to their preoperative level of activity. The lone failure was a tibialis graft that tore at 13 months postoperatively.
“My own feelings are, though, I still don’t put these in contact sports and pro athletes unless they request it,” Carter said.
“You need to know where the grafts are, whether they are irradiated or processed, you have to slow down the rehab,” Thomas R. Carter, M.D., said.
Carter and colleagues performed ACL reconstruction on 42 patients with an average perioperative age of 17 years, 7 months. They used fresh-frozen, non-irradiated tibialis for 26 patients and Achilles tendon allografts from a single tissue bank for 16 patients during a 3-year period. Isolated ACL reconstruction was performed in 24 cases while 13 patients required simultaneous meniscus repair and 5 patients need concurrent partial meniscectomy. Average follow-up was 64 months. Metrics of evaluation were IKDC objective and subjective forms, KT-1000 measurement and Lysholm scores.
They found that IKDC objective ratings were an A in 30 cases, B in 6 cases and one failure, noted as D, while KT-1000 differences were 0 millimeters in three cases, 1 millimeter in 23 cases, 2 millimeters in eight cases, 3 millimeters in one case and one failure. The average IKDC subjective score was 90.2 while the average Lysholm score was 91. 76 percent of patients believed they returned to their preoperative level of activity. The lone failure was a tibialis graft that tore at 13 months postoperatively.
“My own feelings are, though, I still don’t put these in contact sports and pro athletes unless they request it,” Carter said.