de Padua VBC, Saithna A, Chagas EFB, Zutin TLM, Piazzalunga LF, Patriarcha LF, Gelas PJDL, Helito CP. Rate of Tibial Tunnel Malposition Is Not Changed by Drilling Entirely Within the Stump of Preserved Remnants During ACL Reconstruction: A Prospective Comparative 3D-CT Study.
Orthop J Sports Med 2021;
9:23259671211037324. [PMID:
34646899 PMCID:
PMC8504236 DOI:
10.1177/23259671211037324]
[Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/15/2021] [Accepted: 05/04/2021] [Indexed: 11/15/2022] Open
Abstract
Background:
Remnant preservation during anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) reconstruction (ACLR) is controversial, and it is unclear whether the stump aids or obscures tibial tunnel positioning.
Purpose/Hypothesis:
The aim of this study was to determine whether the rate of tibial tunnel malposition is influenced by remnant preservation. The hypothesis was that using a remnant-preserving technique to drill entirely within the tibial stump would result in a significant reduction in tibial tunnel malposition as determined by postoperative 3-dimensional computed tomography (3D-CT).
Study Design:
Cohort study; Level of evidence, 2.
Methods:
Patients undergoing ACLR between October 2018 and December 2019 underwent surgery with a remnant-preserving technique (RP group) if they had a large stump present (>50% of the native ACL length) or if there was no remnant or if it was <50% of the native length of the ACL, they underwent remnant ablation (RA group) and use of standard landmarks for tunnel positioning. The postoperative tunnel location was reported as a percentage of the overall anteroposterior (AP) and mediolateral (ML) dimensions of the tibia on axial 3D-CT. The tunnel was classified as anatomically placed if the center lay between 30% and 55% of the AP length and between 40% and 51% of the ML length.
Results:
Overall, 52 patients were included in the study (26 in each group). The mean tunnel positions were 36.8% ± 5.5% AP and 46.7% ± 2.9% ML in the RP group and 35.6% ± 4.8% AP and 47.3% ± 2.3% ML in the RA group. There were no significant differences in the mean AP (P = .134) and ML (P = .098) tunnel positions between the groups. Inter- and intraobserver reliability varied between fair to excellent and good to excellent, respectively. There was no significant difference in the rate of malposition between groups (RP group, 7.7%; RA group, 11.5%; P ≥ .999).
Conclusion:
Drilling entirely within the ACL tibial stump using a remnant-preserving reconstruction technique did not significantly change the rate of tunnel malposition when compared with stump ablation and utilization of standard landmarks.
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