Evaluation of retear rates following transtibial anterior cruciate ligament reconstruction: Functional outcomes and GNRB assessment with a mean 6.3 follow-up

The method of reconstruction of the anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) using the tibia-dependent femoral tunnel technique is highly criticized. It would not allow anatomical placement of the graft and would therefore lead to a high rate of retear. This retrospective study aimed to evaluate the rate of retear in ACL reconstructions using the transtibial tunnel (TT) technique and assess functional outcomes. The study included 148 patients (153 knees) who underwent ACL reconstruction with a minimum two-year follow-up period. Patients underwent clinical examinations, completed functional questionnaires (KOOS, Lysholm, ACL-RSI), and underwent laximetry measurements with GNRB at 134 N and 200 N. Two patients had retears detected on MRI and underwent revision surgery prior to the study, leaving 151 knees for evaluation. The retear rate was 6.6 %, with an overall rate of 7.8 % when including revision cases. Laxity measurements obtained with GNRB showed a strong correlation with functional scores, indicating worse scores with greater laxity differences (p < 0.0001). The retear rate observed in this study was at the higher end of those reported in the literature. The study indications for TT ACL reconstructions must be defined more specifically to reduce failure rates.

Level of evidence: III (retrospective cohort study).