The Effect of Accelerated Rehabilitation After Anterior Cruciate Ligament Reconstruction With and Without Suture Tape Reinforcement

ACL reconstruction is the most commonly performed knee ligament reconstruction and employs a variety of surgical techniques. However, despite high success rates, it is still challenged by residual laxity and graft rupture.

While the majority of patients who undergo ACLR will have good to excellent results, a subset of patients is at a higher risk for graft failure. For those that require revision surgery, the second operation often fails. Anterior cruciate ligament injuries account for 50% of knee ligament injuries for high school-aged adults.

The most commonly used autografts for ACLR are the hamstring tendons (HT) and the bone-patellar tendon-bone (BPTB). However, questions remain about how patients with either an HT or a BPTB autograft recover knee muscle strength postoperatively.

To help address and prevent future ACL failures, new repair and reconstruction techniques have been employed that incorporate suture augmentation. The goal of augmentation is to protect the newly repaired or reconstructed ligament during rehabilitation.

Despite advances in anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) reconstruction surgical techniques and rehabilitation, recent studies report that between 20% to 50% of those with ACL reconstruction do not return to the same sports after surgery and 10% to 70% of those who resume preinjury sports participate at a reduced level or with significant functional impairments.

Anecdotal evidence from patient report and clinical observation suggests that an inability to return to sports after ACL reconstruction can be partially attributed to a fear of reinjuring the knee.

Inclusion criteria

• Age from 15 to 50 years old.
• With or without meniscal injury.
• Isolated ACL injury without any other ligament injury.
• Recent and chronic injury.

Exclusion criteria

• Multiligament injury.
• Deformed knee (Genu varus or valgus).
• Previous ACL reconstruction or repair.
• Older than 50 years old and younger than 15 years old.
• Failed ACL reconstruction or repair -