Jorge Knörr, Jérôme Sales de Gauzy, Pedro Doménech, Mikel Sánchez, Francisco Soldado, Carlos Barrios
{"title":"Anterior Cruciate Ligament Reconstruction in Skeletally Immature Patients Using an All-Epiphyseal Technique: A Prospective Cohort Study.","authors":"Jorge Knörr, Jérôme Sales de Gauzy, Pedro Doménech, Mikel Sánchez, Francisco Soldado, Carlos Barrios","doi":"10.1177/23259671251322771","DOIUrl":null,"url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Background: </strong>Transphyseal techniques are the most commonly used for anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) reconstruction in children. To mitigate the risk of growth disturbance, the tunnels should be positioned as vertically and centrally as possible in relation to the physis, potentially compromising the anatomic orientation of the graft and, therefore, its isometry. A graft rupture is frequent in this age group. Even though all-epiphyseal techniques have not clearly demonstrated better isometry, the authors propose an epiphyseal technique that aims for favorable anatomy, and therefore isometry, while avoiding physeal damage in young children with ACL ruptures.</p><p><strong>Purpose: </strong>To present the results of a modified all-epiphyseal technique in prepubertal patients, evaluating knee function, graft survival, and joint and growth protection.</p><p><strong>Study design: </strong>Case series; Level of evidence, 4.</p><p><strong>Methods: </strong>A total of 74 skeletally immature patients with a traumatic ACL rupture underwent a physeal preserving technique using a semitendinosus-gracilis tendon graft fixed with intra-epiphyseal resorbable interference screws in the femur and tibia, along with associated minimal notchplasty. Preoperative, intraoperative, and postoperative assessments included clinical knee stability and meniscal status, magnetic resonance imaging, isometry measurements, comparative laximetry measurements with stress radiography using the Lerat method, full-length standing radiography, measurements of the axes of the lower limbs, Tegner and Lysholm scores, and patient satisfaction.</p><p><strong>Results: </strong>From 2004 to 2014, a total of 74 patients met our inclusion criteria and were followed up for a mean of 4.1 years (range, 2-7 years). Of these patients, 91.9% had an excellent/good postoperative Lysholm score, with similar preoperative and postoperative Tegner activity scores. Intraoperative isometry showed an intratunnel graft excursion <3 mm during extension in 95.9% of cases. Abnormal clinical laxity was observed in 4.1% at final follow-up, with an improvement in side-to-side laxity of 4.8 mm. There were 3 patients who experienced graft failure, with the salvage procedure employing a transphyseal technique in 1 patient. Meniscal tears occurred in 27.0%, with concomitant repair yielding a healing rate of 87.5%. No physeal alterations were observed, except for a tendency toward subtle overgrowth in the affected limb. Also, 90.5% of patients were satisfied or very satisfied with the outcome.</p><p><strong>Conclusion: </strong>The proposed all-epiphyseal technique in skeletally immature patients demonstrated excellent overall results with a low incidence of reruptures and meniscal degeneration, without relevant alterations related to growth.</p>","PeriodicalId":19646,"journal":{"name":"Orthopaedic Journal of Sports Medicine","volume":"13 3","pages":"23259671251322771"},"PeriodicalIF":2.4000,"publicationDate":"2025-03-28","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC11954573/pdf/","citationCount":"0","resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":null,"PeriodicalName":"Orthopaedic Journal of Sports Medicine","FirstCategoryId":"3","ListUrlMain":"https://doi.org/10.1177/23259671251322771","RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":null,"EPubDate":"2025/3/1 0:00:00","PubModel":"eCollection","JCR":"Q2","JCRName":"ORTHOPEDICS","Score":null,"Total":0}
引用次数: 0
Abstract
Background: Transphyseal techniques are the most commonly used for anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) reconstruction in children. To mitigate the risk of growth disturbance, the tunnels should be positioned as vertically and centrally as possible in relation to the physis, potentially compromising the anatomic orientation of the graft and, therefore, its isometry. A graft rupture is frequent in this age group. Even though all-epiphyseal techniques have not clearly demonstrated better isometry, the authors propose an epiphyseal technique that aims for favorable anatomy, and therefore isometry, while avoiding physeal damage in young children with ACL ruptures.
Purpose: To present the results of a modified all-epiphyseal technique in prepubertal patients, evaluating knee function, graft survival, and joint and growth protection.
Study design: Case series; Level of evidence, 4.
Methods: A total of 74 skeletally immature patients with a traumatic ACL rupture underwent a physeal preserving technique using a semitendinosus-gracilis tendon graft fixed with intra-epiphyseal resorbable interference screws in the femur and tibia, along with associated minimal notchplasty. Preoperative, intraoperative, and postoperative assessments included clinical knee stability and meniscal status, magnetic resonance imaging, isometry measurements, comparative laximetry measurements with stress radiography using the Lerat method, full-length standing radiography, measurements of the axes of the lower limbs, Tegner and Lysholm scores, and patient satisfaction.
Results: From 2004 to 2014, a total of 74 patients met our inclusion criteria and were followed up for a mean of 4.1 years (range, 2-7 years). Of these patients, 91.9% had an excellent/good postoperative Lysholm score, with similar preoperative and postoperative Tegner activity scores. Intraoperative isometry showed an intratunnel graft excursion <3 mm during extension in 95.9% of cases. Abnormal clinical laxity was observed in 4.1% at final follow-up, with an improvement in side-to-side laxity of 4.8 mm. There were 3 patients who experienced graft failure, with the salvage procedure employing a transphyseal technique in 1 patient. Meniscal tears occurred in 27.0%, with concomitant repair yielding a healing rate of 87.5%. No physeal alterations were observed, except for a tendency toward subtle overgrowth in the affected limb. Also, 90.5% of patients were satisfied or very satisfied with the outcome.
Conclusion: The proposed all-epiphyseal technique in skeletally immature patients demonstrated excellent overall results with a low incidence of reruptures and meniscal degeneration, without relevant alterations related to growth.
期刊介绍:
The Orthopaedic Journal of Sports Medicine (OJSM), developed by the American Orthopaedic Society for Sports Medicine (AOSSM), is a global, peer-reviewed, open access journal that combines the interests of researchers and clinical practitioners across orthopaedic sports medicine, arthroscopy, and knee arthroplasty.
Topics include original research in the areas of:
-Orthopaedic Sports Medicine, including surgical and nonsurgical treatment of orthopaedic sports injuries
-Arthroscopic Surgery (Shoulder/Elbow/Wrist/Hip/Knee/Ankle/Foot)
-Relevant translational research
-Sports traumatology/epidemiology
-Knee and shoulder arthroplasty
The OJSM also publishes relevant systematic reviews and meta-analyses.
This journal is a member of the Committee on Publication Ethics (COPE).