Comparative assessment of the results of three ACL reconstruction techniques after a minimum five-year follow-up

A comparative study was made of the results obtained with three surgical techniques in young athletes with complete ACL tears: patellar tendon reinforced with a LAD (28 patients); free patellar tendon (25 patients); fascia lata flap with a LAD (32 patients). The IKDC and Lysholm forms and the KT 2000 we're employed for clinical and lassitometric evaluation. The IKDC results were satisfactory in 60%, 72% and 67% of patients respectively, whereas the Lysholm results were 90% satisfactory in all three groups. The KT 2000 showed greater stability in the two patellar tendon groups. A higher percentage of complications and revisions occurred in the two LAD groups owing to intolerance of the artificial ligament. While each technique gave satisfactory results and no statistically significant differences emerged, it is none the less felt that reconstruction with the free patellar tendon provides the best subjective and objective outcome.