Symptomatic tibial tunnel ganglion cyst presenting four years following an ACL hamstring autograft reconstruction: a case report of a rare complication of ACL surgery.

Objective: To highlight a case of an athlete with a symptomatic pretibial cyst 4-years post-ACL reconstruction surgery.

Case presentation: A 23-year-old female soccer athlete presented with right-sided knee pain, locking and catching, and diminished sensation along the anteroinferior knee. She had a history of an ipsilateral ACL hamstring autograft four years prior. Physical evaluation revealed a visible and palpable swelling medial to the patellar tendon, limited and painful range, and hypoesthesia within the infrapatellar branch of the saphenous nerve. MRI revealed a tubular ganglion cyst along the anterior aspect of the tibial tunnel, medial to the patellar tendon, and anterior to the ACL graft.

Summary: Post-surgical ganglion cyst formation in the reconstructed ACL is a rare complication that can present years following ACL surgery. This case aims to bring awareness to this condition as a potential long-term complication in the ACL-reconstructed athlete.