Modified ACL Reconstruction Technique: Femoral Tunnel Preparation through the Anteromedial Portal

Min, Byoung Hyun; Kim, Ho Sung; Lee, Won Ik; Jang, Dong Wook; Kim, Sung Jae; Kang, Shin Young

Abstract

Recent development and advances in arthroscopic surgical techniques for Anterior Cruciate Ligament(ACL) reconstruction have led to the single-incision techniques. Several potential pitfalls in the classic single-incision techniques were found and it has become necessary to develop a new, simpler method to overcome these problems. Seventy-five cases of arthroscope-assisted ACL reconstruction were prospectively studied. The radiologic results were compared between the group in which femoral tunnel preparation was performed by the tibia tunnel(classic technique, 35 cases) and the group in which the anteromedial portal was employed(modified technique, 40 cases). Significantly better results were obtained at the angle formed by the bone graft and the interference screw, the angle between the femoral tunnel axis and the anatomic axis of the femur, and the angle between the femoral tunnel axis and tibial tunnel axis in the modified technique(P<0.05). This study presents a modified arthroscope-assisted ACL reconstruction technique that uses the anteromedial portal for femoral tunnel preparation and insertion of interference screw. In the modified ACL reconstruction technique, the femoral tunnel preparation and femoral graft fixation were accomplished in the same direction and the femoral tunnel preparation was performed regardless of the tibial tunnel preparation, this allows the surgeon to handle the arthroscope freely and advance more posteriorly to get a better view of the posterior cortex.