Revision anterior cruciate ligament surgery using the over-the-top femoral route.

Abstract

Primary anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) reconstruction is considered a successful surgical procedure, but the results reported for revision ACL surgery are less satisfactory. The most common cause of technical failure in primary reconstruction is tunnel misplacement, particularly on the femoral side, although an anterior placement of the tibial tunnel may lead to graft impingement and failure. Several technical problems are encountered during revision procedures. We describe a technique for revision ACL surgery using a special jig for preparing the tibial tunnel that references the apex and roof of the intercondylar notch and an over-the-top routing for proximal femoral placement. This combination avoids graft impingement at the tibial tunnel exit and circumvents the problems associated with further femoral tunnel preparation.