Abstract
Purpose
This article is based on the concept of complete footprint restoration. It introduces a “Modified Insertion Site Table” for individual size-matched single- (SB) and double-bundle (DB) ACL reconstruction, which gives surgical guidelines for graft diameters and drill angles according to the restored tibial insertion site area and geometry.
Methods
Potential graft diameters and drill angles were matched for all individual tibial insertion site lengths between 8 and 21 mm. A “Modified Insertion Site Table” was calculated to achieve a maximum of area restoration of the tibial ACL footprint for each of these insertion site lengths. The geometry of the restored footprint was considered.
Results
A wide ACL footprint up to a 16-mm-long insertion site might be best restored with a SB-, a narrow one with a DB-ACL reconstruction. In a 17-mm-long insertion site, SB- and DB-ACL reconstructions restore a similar amount of footprint area, so geometry considerations of the footprint may decide which surgical technique may be favourized. SB can restore a maximum length of 13.1 mm and DB up to 21 mm. The width of the restored area depends on the drill bit diameter(s) and is larger for SB in most cases. In larger footprints, DB can replicate up to 63% more area and 37% more length than SB-ACL reconstruction.
Conclusions
Anatomical footprint restoration requires assessment of the length, width, and the orientation of the tibial ACL insertion site. Both SB- and DB-ACL reconstruction may achieve a wide range of area and geometric restoration of the individual ACL footprint. While SB-ACL reconstruction may be best used for wide insertion sites with up to 16 mm in length, DB-ACL reconstruction has the potential to restore narrow and larger footprints up to 21 mm in length. The “Modified Insertion Site Table” resumes the concept for orientation during surgery.
Similar content being viewed by others
References
Arnoczky SP (1983) Anatomy of the anterior cruciate ligament. Clin Orthop Relat Res 172:19–25
Colombet P, Robinson J, Christel P, Franceschi JP, Djian P, Bellier G, Sbihi A (2006) Morphology of anterior cruciate ligament attachment for anatomic reconstruction: a cadaveric dissection and radiographic study. Arthroscopy 22:984–992
Dodds JA, Arnoczky SP (1994) Anatomy of the anterior cruciate ligament: a blueprint for repair and reconstruction. Arthroscopy 10:132–139
Duthon VB, Barea C, Abrassart S, Fasel JH, Fritschy D, Ménétrey J (2006) Anatomy of the anterior cruciate ligament. Knee Surg Sports Traumatol Arthrosc 14:204–213
Edwards A, Bull AM, Amis AA (2007) The attachments of the anteromedial and posterolateral fibre bundles of the anterior cruciate ligament: part 1: tibial attachment. Knee Surg Sports Traumatol Arthrosc 15:1414–1421
Ferretti M, Levicoff EA, Macpherson TA, Moreland MS, Cohen M, Fu FH (2007) The fetal anterior cruciate ligament: an anatomic and histologic study. Arthroscopy 23:278–282
Fu FH, Cohen SB (2008) Current concepts in ACL reconstruction. SLACK Incorporated 21–32:301–308
Girgis FG, Marshall JL, Monajem A (1975) The cruciate ligaments of the knee joint. Anatomical, functional and experimental analysis. Clin Orthop Relat Res 106:216–231
Hamner DL, Brown CH Jr, Steiner ME, Hecker AT, Hayes WC (1999) Hamstring tendon grafts for reconstruction of the anterior cruciate ligament: biomechanical evaluation of the use of multiple strands and tensioning techniques. J Bone Joint Surg Am 81:549–557
Hara K, Mochizuki T, Sekiya I, Yamaguchi K, Akita K, Muneta T (2009) Anatomy of normal human anterior cruciate ligament attachments evaluated by divided small bundles. Am J Sports Med 37:2386–2391
Harner CD, Baek GH, Vogrin TM, Carlin GJ, Kashiwaguchi S, Woo SL (1999) Quantitative analysis of human cruciate ligament insertions. Arthroscopy 15:741–749
Kopf S, Martin DE, Tashman S, Fu FH (2010) Effect of tibial drill angles on bone tunnel aperture during anterior cruciate ligament reconstruction. J Bone Joint Surg Am 92:871–881
Kopf S, Musahl V, Tashman S, Szczodry M, Shen W, Fu FH (2009) A systematic review of the femoral origin and tibial insertion a morphology of the ACL. Knee Surg Sports Traumatol Arthrosc 17:213–219
Milankov M, Savic D, Milojevic Z (2011) Geometric considerations regarding the surface of the tibial insertion of the ACL graft. Knee Surg Sports Traumatol Arthrosc, Letter to Editor, PMID: 22173731
Odensten M, Gillquist J (1985) Functional anatomy of the anterior cruciate ligament and a rationale for reconstruction. J Bone Joint Surg Am 67:257–262
Petersen W, Zantop T (2007) Anatomy of the anterior cruciate ligament with regard to its two bundles. Clin Orthop Relat Res 454:35–47
Sahasrabudhe A, Christel P, Anne F, Appleby D, Basdekis G (2010) Postoperative evaluation of tibial footprint and tunnels charecteristics characteristics after anatomic double-bundle anterior cruciate ligament reconstruction with anatomic aimers. Knee Surg Sports Traumatol Arthrosc 18:1599–1606
Siebold R, Ellert T, Metz S, Metz J (2008) Tibial insertions of the anteromedial and posterolateral bundles of the anterior cruciate ligament: morphometry, arthroscopic landmarks and orientation model for bone tunnel placement. Arthroscopy 24:154–161
Siebold R, Zantop T (2009) Anatomic double-bundle ACL reconstruction: a call for indications. Knee Surg Sports Traumatol Arthrosc 17:211–212
Siebold R (2011) The concept of complete footprint restoration with guidelines for single- and double bundle ACL reconstruction. Knee Surg Sports Traumatol Arthrosc 19:699–706
Tállay Alim MH, Bartlett J (2008) Anatomical study of the human anterior cruciate ligament stump's tibial insertion footprint. Knee Surg Sports Traumatol Arthrosc 16:741–746
van Eck CF, Lesniak BP, Schreiber VM, Fu FH (2010) Anatomic single- and double-bundle anterior cruciate ligament reconstruction flowchart. Arthroscopy 26:258–268
van Eck CF, Schreiber VM, Liu TT, Fu FH (2010) The anatomic approach to primary, revision and augmentation anterior cruciate ligament reconstruction. Knee Surg Sports Traumatol Arthrosc 18:1154–1163
Zantop T, Petersen W, Sekiya JK, Musahl V, Fu FH (2006) ACL anatomy and function relating to anatomical reconstruction. Knee Surg Sports Traumatol Arthrosc 14:982–992
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Corresponding author
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
Siebold, R., Schuhmacher, P. Restoration of the tibial ACL footprint area and geometry using the Modified Insertion Site Table. Knee Surg Sports Traumatol Arthrosc 20, 1845–1849 (2012). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00167-012-1899-4
Received:
Accepted:
Published:
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00167-012-1899-4