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The influence of femoral tunnel position in single-bundle ACL reconstruction on functional outcomes and return to sports

  • Knee
  • Published:
Knee Surgery, Sports Traumatology, Arthroscopy Aims and scope

Abstract

Purpose

The purpose of this study was to radiographically investigate the influence of femoral tunnel placement in ACL reconstruction on early outcomes and return to sports due to anatomic and nonanatomic positioning.

Methods

A prospective study was conducted from 2008 to 2010, with 86 athletes who underwent ACL reconstruction between anteromedial (AM) footprint and high AM position. Knee functional outcomes (IKDC objective and subjective, Tegner score, and Lysholm scale) return to sports and complications were analyzed at 6- and 12-month follow-up.

Results

At follow-up, it was observed that tunnel projection along Blumensaat’s line was correlated with functional outcomes on Tegner scale (at 6 and 12 months) and IKDC subjective (at 12 months). There was a significant difference in mean tunnel projection along Blumensaat’s line when analyzing return to sports (73 ± 1.4 and 79 ± 1.7 %, respectively, for projections on return vs. no return to sports, p = 0.02) and complications (73 ± 1.3 vs. 78 ± 1.6 %, respectively, for projections on no complications vs. complications, p = 0.03). No differences were stated on coronal view. These correlations between tunnel positioning on functional outcomes could not be explained by demographic or baseline characteristics.

Conclusion

The clinical relevance of this study is that tunnel positioning along AM footprint and high AM position represented by tunnel projection along Blumensaat’s line is associated with early return to sports on previous Tegner level and better functional outcome in athletes.

Level of evidence

III.

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Acknowledgments

The authors are grateful to Dr. Freddie H Fu and Dr. John C. Richmond.

Conflict of interest

The authors report no conflict of interest or financial support to this present research.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Institute of Orthopedics and Traumatology, Hospital das Clínicas, School of Medicine, University of São Paulo, 333 Dr. Ovídio Pires de Campos, 05403-010, São Paulo, Brazil

    Tiago Lazzaretti Fernandes, André Pedrinelli, Gilberto Luis Camanho & Arnaldo José Hernandez

  2. FIFA Medical Centre of Excellence, São Paulo, Brazil

    Tiago Lazzaretti Fernandes, André Pedrinelli, Gilberto Luis Camanho & Arnaldo José Hernandez

  3. Department of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation, Spaulding Rehabilitation Hospital and Massachusetts General Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA

    Felipe Fregni & Kayleen Weaver

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  1. Tiago Lazzaretti Fernandes
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  2. Felipe Fregni
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  5. Gilberto Luis Camanho
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Correspondence to Tiago Lazzaretti Fernandes.

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Fernandes, T.L., Fregni, F., Weaver, K. et al. The influence of femoral tunnel position in single-bundle ACL reconstruction on functional outcomes and return to sports. Knee Surg Sports Traumatol Arthrosc 22, 97–103 (2014). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00167-012-2288-8

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00167-012-2288-8

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