Knee Surg Relat Res.  2017 Mar;29(1):39-44. 10.5792/ksrr.16.072.

Outcome of ACL Reconstruction for Chronic ACL Injury in Knees without the Posterior Horn of the Medial Meniscus: Comparison with ACL Reconstructed Knees with An Intact Medial Meniscus

• Syam K
• Chouhan DK
• Dhillon MS

• KMID: 2371532
• DOI: http://doi.org/10.5792/ksrr.16.072

Abstract

PURPOSE
Cadaveric studies have shown that deficiency of the posterior horn of the medial meniscus (PHMM) increases strain on the anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) graft. However, its influence on the clinical and radiological outcome after ACL reconstruction is less discussed and hence evaluated in this study.
MATERIALS AND METHODS
This study included 77 cases of ACL reconstruction with a minimum 18-month follow-up. Of the 77 cases, 41 patients with intact menisci were compared clinically and radiologically with 36 patients with an injury to the PHMM that required various grades of meniscectomy. The knees were evaluated using subjective International Knee Documentation Committee (IKDC) score and Orthopadische Arbeitsgruppe Knie (OAK) score.
RESULTS
Cases with intact menisci showed better stability (p=0.004) at an average of 44.51 months after surgery. No significant differences were noted in the overall OAK score, subjective IKDC score, and functional OAK score (p=0.082, p=0.526, and p=0.363, respectively). The incidence of radiological osteoarthrosis was significantly higher in the posterior horn deficient knees (p=0.022).
CONCLUSIONS
The tendency toward relatively higher objective instability and increased incidence of osteoarthrosis in the group with absent posterior horn reinforces its importance as a secondary stabiliser of the knee.

Keyword

Knee; Anterior cruciate ligament; Medial meniscus; Tear

MeSH Terms

Animals
Anterior Cruciate Ligament
Cadaver
Follow-Up Studies
Horns*
Humans
Incidence
Knee*
Menisci, Tibial*
Osteoarthritis
Tears
Transplants