Quadriceps tendon--a reliable alternative for reconstruction of the anterior cruciate ligament.

Anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) reconstruction surgery with the central third quadriceps tendon can yield a stable, high-functioning knee with little associated morbidity. Both the quadriceps tendon-patellar bone graft and the free tendon graft are reported to produce good to excellent outcomes at more than 2 years of follow-up. The decreased donor-site morbidity and absence of anterior knee pain suggest that the quadriceps free tendon autograft offers a reliable, pain-free, low-morbidity autograft alternative in ACL reconstruction. Recent data suggest that this graft may be the least morbid of the currently used ACL autograft reconstruction alternatives.