Knee function following suture of fresh tear of the anterior cruciate ligament.

A retrospective consecutive series of 60 patients treated with primary suture of knee ligament injuries is presented. All patients had an anterior ligament (ACL) tear. In 54 patients this injury was combined with a medial compartment tear. Four patients had isolated tears of the ACL. At follow-up after 4 years, 11 patients complained of instability, and in eight of these an anterolateral rotatory instability was demonstrated by the Slocum test. In contrast, only five of 49 patients with subjectively stable knees had positive Slocum tests. Thirty of 47 patients with negative Slocum tests had excellent function, compared with four of 13 patients with positive tests.