Anterior cruciate ligament reconstruction in patients over 40 years using hamstring autograft.

Abstract

Anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) reconstruction is becoming increasingly popular in active middle-aged patients with symptomatic instability. The purpose of this study was to retrospectively evaluate the results of ACL reconstruction in patients over the age of 40. Twenty-one patients with a median age of 44 (range 40-56) who had arthroscopically assisted reconstruction using four-stranded hamstring autograft were reviewed. RCI titanium interference screw fixation was used in the tibia, and Endobutton CL fixation in the femur. The clinical results were assessed at a mean follow-up of 2 years. The median value for the Lysholm knee score was 92 (range 74-100), and the median value for the International Knee Documentation Committee score was 83 (range 53-97). For the Tegner activity scale, the median value was 6 (range 4-8) at follow-up. The median side-to-side difference using the KT-1000 arthrometer was 2 mm (range 0-3.5 mm). Hamstring ACL reconstruction in appropriately selected middle-aged patients can yield successful and satisfactory results.