Failed regrowth of the harvested semitendinosus tendon: a rare complication of tendon harvest after anterior cruciate ligament reconstruction.

Abstract

Harvested hamstring tendons were recently shown to possess the ability to regrow and regain their function in flexing the knee joint. In this study, we report a case of failed regrowth of previously harvested semitendinosus tendon to its original insertion site in a 24-year-old professional soccer player. The disturbance resulted in the formation of a clearly visible Popeye-type muscular prominence in the proximal thigh and a notable gap in the midthigh distal to the muscular prominence in knee flexion. Furthermore, 6 months after surgery, in the second full-speed soccer practice, the patient experienced a sudden sharp pain in his hamstring muscles, which was later diagnosed as being from a strain of the semitendinosus muscle.