A comparison of bone-patellar tendon-bone and bone-hamstring tendon-bone autografts for anterior cruciate ligament reconstruction.

BACKGROUND

Most of the previous comparative studies between patellar tendon and hamstring tendon anterior cruciate ligament grafts compared grafts of different constructs fixed with different methods.

PURPOSE

To compare patellar tendon and hamstring tendon grafts with the same fixation method used to reconstruct the anterior cruciate ligament.

STUDY DESIGN

Randomized controlled trial; Level of evidence, 1.

METHODS

During the reconstructive procedure, the hamstring tendon graft was prepared as a bone-hamstring-bone graft; both bone-patellar tendon-bone and bone-hamstring-bone grafts were fixed with interference screws. Eighty consecutive patients who underwent anterior cruciate ligament reconstruction were randomly assigned to either bone-patellar tendon-bone or bone-hamstring-bone groups. Follow-up examinations were performed for at least 5 years postoperatively. Seventy-two of the 80 patients (37 patients in the bone-patellar tendon-bone group and 35 in the bone-hamstring-bone group) were evaluated, with a mean follow-up period of 87.0 and 80.8 months, respectively. Follow-up examinations were performed using the International Knee Documentation Committee knee ligament standard and subjective knee forms.

RESULTS

The mean KT-1000 arthrometer evaluation results showed no significant difference between the bone-patellar tendon-bone and bone-hamstring-bone groups (1.2 +/- 2.1 mm and 1.7 +/- 1.4 mm, respectively; P = .24). However, symptoms related to graft harvest (anterior kneeling pain) were more frequently observed in the bone-patellar tendon-bone group, and unsatisfactory results were correlated with severe kneeling pain in 3 patients from this group (P = .0056). Significant hamstring muscle weakness without complaint of functional deficit was found in the bone-hamstring-bone group (P = .0045).

CONCLUSION

Bone-hamstring-bone grafts were shown to reduce the risk of problems at the graft harvest site compared to bone-patellar tendon-bone grafts, with comparable results in the remaining clinical parameters tested.