Editorial Commentary: So Your Knee Has a Big Pivot Shift Before Anterior Cruciate Ligament Surgery-Why Does that Matter???

Abstract

Control of anterolateral knee laxity has always been a major goal of anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) reconstruction. The recent focus on the anatomy of the anterolateral knee and new studies demonstrating decreased graft failure risk with the additional of lateral procedures to intra-articular ACL reconstruction have given these procedures new relevance. A key question that drives indications is which patients benefit the most from these procedures. Those patients with increased rotational knee laxity, particularly in the absence of a repairable meniscus injury, may be good candidates. ACL injury chronicity, bony anatomy, concomitant anterolateral injury, and other factors all contribute to increased anterolateral knee laxity. This high laxity population is ideal for evaluation of the effectiveness of new methods to control knee laxity and improve outcomes of isolated intra-articular ACL reconstruction.