Arthroscopic anterior cruciate ligament reconstruction with bone-patellar tendon-bone allograft or autograft. A prospective study with an average follow up of 4 years.

A prospective study was performed with 36 patients who underwent an anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) reconstruction with the use of a fresh-frozen bone-patellar tendon-bone (BPTB) allograft. A group of 26 patients who underwent the same operation conducted by the same surgeon in the same period but with the use of an autograft BPTB served as controls. The average follow-up was 46 (range 30-64) months in the allograft group and 52 (range 42-74) months in the autograft group. The allograft group consisted of 17 men and 19 women with a mean age of 28 years (mean trauma to reconstruction interval was 55 months). The autograft group consisted of 9 men and 17 women with a mean age of 28 years (mean trauma to reconstruction interval was 30 months). Clinical and functional evaluation was performed according to the IKDC guidelines. Analysis of tibial tunnel placement with respect to the Blumenstaat line on a lateral radiograph with the knee in hyperextension was done in relation to an extension deficit and clinical score. In the autograft group 18 (70%) patients had a normal or nearly normal knee and 8, a fair result. In the allograft group 30 (85%) patients had a normal or nearly normal knee, 5 (13%) patients had a fair result, and one (2%) knee was poor. The difference between the two groups was not significant. The allograft BPTB is a good alternative graft in ACL reconstruction.