Macroscopic evaluation of the anterior cruciate ligament in osteoarthritic patients undergoing total knee arthroplasty.

Abstract

Sacrifice of the anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) is currently common practice during total knee arthroplasty (TKA). However, patients who receive an ACL-retaining TKA maintain more normal knee kinematic patterns than those without an ACL. Additionally, satisfactory survival and function more than 20 years after bicruciate-retaining TKA has recently been reported. The purpose of this study was to compare the percentage of knees with a visually intact ACL prior to TKA surgery with previously reported values. A total of 247 knees (216 consecutive patients) that underwent TKA were retrospectively evaluated. The preoperative diagnosis for all patients was primary OA. The macroscopic appearance of the ACL at the time of surgery was retrospectively assessed using routinely recorded digital photographs and classified as normal, moderately damaged (fissured), or completely ruptured. Both normal and moderately damaged ACLs were defined as intact. Ninety-four percent (233/247) of the knees had an intact ACL (normal or moderately damaged). This value is higher than that found in previous reports. Our results show more candidates for bicruciate ligament-retaining TKA surgery than reported previously. This suggests that improved techniques for bicruciate-retaining TKA would be clinically useful and could benefit a large number of patients.