No Differences in Graft Failure After Anterior Cruciate Ligament Reconstruction With Suture Tape Augmentation in Adolescents

Abstract

Purpose

To compare outcomes of anterior cruciate ligament reconstruction (ACLR) with and without suture tape augmentation (STA) in adolescent patients.

Methods

Retrospective review of patients between 12 and 18 years of age who had ACLR with quadriceps tendon autograft between 2017 and 2022 with a minimum 2-year follow-up. Charts were reviewed for demographics and surgical data. Two groups were created: ACLR with STA (+STA) and ACLR without STA (–STA). Comparisons between continuous variables were performed using Student t tests or Mann-Whitney U tests. Comparisons between categorical variables were performed using χ² or Fisher exact test.

Results

In total, 110 patients were included in analysis. There was no significant difference in demographics between groups. There was a significant difference between the percentage of extra-articular procedures with 4% in the –STA group and 29% in the +STA group (P < .001). No difference was seen in femoral tunnel size (P = .27), tibial tunnel size (P = .20), or concomitant meniscal repair or resection (P = .88) between groups. There was no significant difference in the number of anterior cruciate ligament graft failures (P = .61) or time to failure between groups (P = .62). There were 9 failures (13.2%) in the –STA group and 7 failures (16.6%) in the +STA group, with a median of time to failure of 698 days and 355 days in the –STA and +STA group, respectively. Of the patients, 19.1% in the –STA group and 31.0% in the +STA group underwent lysis of adhesions (P = .16).

Conclusions

In our study population of adolescents undergoing primary, unilateral ACLR with quadriceps tendon autograft, we found no difference in the number of graft failures or time to failure based on the use of suture tape augmentation. Additionally, we found no difference in arthrofibrosis rates between groups.

Level of Evidence

Level III, retrospective cohort study.