Comparative clinical characteristic of using bioresolving and metallic interference screw during plastic of anterior cruciate liagaments (acl)

Introduction

The goal of this investigation was to carry out the comparative analysis of early postoperative period between 6 months and a year after autoplastic reconstruction of the of anterior cruciate ligaments (ACL).

Methods

During the period from January 2002 to January 2003 there was performed reconstruction of anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) from the ligament knee-cap (bone - ligament - bone) in 64 patients; 12 patients with acute instability of knee-joint and 52 with chronic antero-medial instability of knee-joint. There were 9 women and 55 men. The age of the patients ranged from 18 to 52. The algorithm of before and after operation investigations was the following: the clinical examination, Biodex testing, stabilometria, MRI diagnostics, standard radiography, IKDC estimation scale, Scale Reagan + Lysholm.

Results

To all operated patients there were found injuries of soft tissues structures of knee-joint. In 26 cases there was found isolated injury of anterior cruciate ligaments; in 38 cases combined injury of anterior cruciate ligaments (19 patients - medial meniscus; 7 patients lateral meniscus; 12 patients - both meniscus). In 33 cases the meniscus was ablated; in 5 cases the medial meniscus was put in stitches; in 39 cases there was done the outoplastic of anterior cruciate ligaments from the ligaments of patella with transplantant fixation with metallic interfering screws and bioresolving screws - Arthrex in 25 cases.
The postoperative protocol of rehabilitation was standard for all patients, excluding 5 of them, to whom there was done the lacing of the meniscus. The data that were received by the algorithm before and after operation investigations showed the similarity of the data in early period and from 6 months to one year after operation.

Conclusion.

In spite of the fact that the methodology of autoplastic of anterior cruciate ligaments (ACL) from the ligament of patella with transplantant fixation with bioresolving screws was more labor-consuming and difficult procedure, it was shown that there were advantages in using the bioresolving screws instead of traditional metallic screws. The wide use of bioresolving screws can be recommended in the practice of autoplastic of anterior cruciate ligaments (ACL) of knee-joint.