Knee Surg Relat Res.  2020 Dec;32(4):e53. 10.1186/s43019-020-00070-3.

Revascularization to the bone tunnel wall after anterior cruciate ligament reconstruction may relate to the distance from the vessels

• Arai Y
• Hara K
• Inoue H
• Kanamura H
• Nakagawa S
• Atsumi S
• Mikami Y

• KMID: 2512214
• DOI: http://doi.org/10.1186/s43019-020-00070-3

Abstract

Purpose
We use magnetic resonance angiography to evaluate the difference of vascular ingrowth to the bone tunnel on the anterior and posterior walls quantitatively after anterior cruciate ligament reconstruction.
Materials and methods
One hundred patients underwent anterior cruciate ligament reconstruction with multistranded semitendinosus tendons. They were retrospectively divided into those who underwent magnetic resonance angiography 2, 3, 4 to 6, and ≥ 7 months after surgery. The mean signal-to-noise ratios of the bone tunnel walls in the femur and tibia from the digital data were measured and compared for the anterior and posterior walls.
Results
The signal-to-noise ratio of the posterior wall of the femoral bone tunnel was significantly higher than that of the anterior wall in each group. On the tibial side, the signal-to-noise ratio of the anterior wall was significantly higher than that of the posterior wall at ≥4 months after surgery.
Conclusions
This study showed that the blood flow after anterior cruciate ligament reconstruction to the femoral bone tunnel is maintained from the posterior wall, and is maintained to the tibial side from the anterior wall 4 months postoperatively. Revascularization to the bone tunnel wall after anterior cruciate ligament reconstruction may relate to the distance from the vessels.

Keyword

Anterior cruciate ligament; Bone tunnel wall; Magnetic resonance angiography; Revascularization