Fuenlabrada, España
Background and objective The primary objective is to evaluate the clinical and functional outcomes of tape reinforcement in anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) reconstructions, recording complications, as well as the rate of reinterventions and graft failure.
Materials and methods Retrospective analysis of ACL reconstructions with hamstring (HS) autograft that were reinforced with high-strength tape. We included patients in whom we obtained a graft of HS <8mm or ≥8mm of poor quality. Age, sex, body mass index (BMI), and previous activity were recorded. Clinical and functional evaluation were made and postoperative range of motion (ROM), pain, and Lysholm functional scale were recorded. Complication rate, graft failure rate, and reintervention rate were analyzed.
Results A total of 160 patients were included, with a mean age of 29.19 years. Of these, 98 were male and 62 female, with a mean BMI of 23.5. The mean follow-up period was 31.7 months. The average ROM was 137.2°, the mean pain level was 0.8, and the average Lysholm score was 95.1. The complication rate was 11%, with 5% requiring reoperation. The graft failure rate was 1.3%. A graft diameter <8mm was associated with females with Fisher's exact test of P<.0001. In the other parameters, no statistically significant differences were found between patients with grafts <8mm and those with grafts ≥8mm.
Conclusions This study demonstrates that tape reinforcement in ACL reconstruction is a safe procedure, offering excellent clinical and functional outcomes with low reinterventions and graft failure rates.