Comparison of intraoperative stability in ACL reconstruction based on femoral tunnel positions.

Abstract

This study evaluated and compared the intraoperative stabilities using the low and high femoral tunnel techniques in ACL reconstruction. Seventy patients who underwent ACL reconstruction were equally allocated to low or high femoral tunnel groups (35 in the low femoral tunnel group and 35 in the high femoral tunnel group) for this study. The authors compared intraoperative anterior, internal rotational, and external rotational stabilities at 0°, 30°, 60°, and 90° of knee flexion using a navigation system after reconstruction. The low femoral tunnel group showed significantly better intraoperative internal rotational stability at 0° and 30° of flexion than the high tunnel group; however, no significant intergroup differences were found for anterior and external rotational stabilities at any flexion angle. These findings suggested that the low femoral tunnel group showed better internal rotational stability at time zero condition during ACL reconstruction than the high femoral tunnel group, but anterior and external rotational stabilities were similar. However, to determine whether these results may affect clinical results, further studies based on more accurate measurement of rotational stability in clinical settings are needed.