Revision anterior cruciate ligament reconstruction does not prevent progression in one out of five patients of osteoarthritis: a meta-analysis of prevalence and progression of osteoarthritis

New or Recurrent Knee Injury, Physical Activity, and Osteoarthritis Beliefs in a Cohort of Female Athletes 2 to 3 Years After ACL Reconstruction and Matched Healthy Peers

BACKGROUND

At 2 to 3 years after anterior cruciate ligament reconstruction (ACLR), the relationship between known modifiable osteoarthritis (OA) risk factors and recurrent knee injury is unknown. This study aimed to determine the odds of new or recurrent traumatic knee injury in a cohort of young female athletes with ACLR 2 to 3 years postsurgery compared with healthy control participants. Secondary objectives were to explore the relationships of moderate and vigorous physical activity (MVPA) and body mass index (BMI) with knee injury, and to document self-reported MVPA satisfaction and beliefs about OA.

STUDY DESIGN

Prospective cohort.

LEVEL OF EVIDENCE

Level 2.

METHODS

A total of 51 female athletes with unilateral ACLR 1 to 2 years previously and 51 age and sport-matched control participants underwent assessment of MVPA (GT3X accelerometers) and BMI. One year later, participants self-reported knee injuries. Bivariable conditional logistic regression explored the association between knee injury, MVPA, and BMI in each group (injury/control).

RESULTS

At 1-year follow-up (n = 101), 19.6% of the injured cohort and 6.0% of control participants sustained a new or recurrent knee injury. The odds of knee injury for the injury group increased 7-fold over controls [odds ratio (OR) = 7.00 (95% CI = 0.86, 56.90)], although this was not statistically significant. The OR for MVPA was 0.98 (95% CI = 0.93, 1.03) and BMI was OR = 1.24 (95% CI = 0.85, 1.82). Half (56.0%) of injury participants and 66% of controls were satisfied with their MVPA; 81.6% of injury participants believed they had increased knee OA risk compared with someone who had never had a knee injury.

CONCLUSION

In the 2 to 3 years after ACLR, 1 in 5 young female athletes had a new or recurrent knee injury. Based on the point estimate, injured participants were more likely to suffer a traumatic knee injury than matched control participants. MVPA and BMI were not associated with increased odds of knee injury.

CLINICAL RELEVANCE

Clinicians should be encouraged to have in-depth conversations with female athletes with previous ACLR regarding enjoyable and sustainable MVPA participation to promote long-term joint health.

Clinical Outcomes and Osteoarthritis at Very Long-term Follow-up After ACL Reconstruction: A Systematic Review and Meta-analysis

Background:

Few studies on outcomes after anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) reconstruction (ACLR) have provided insight into the very long-term effects of this procedure.

Purpose:

To systematically review the outcomes, failure rate, incidence, and predictors of osteoarthritis (OA) for different ACLR techniques at a minimum 20-year follow-up.

Study Design:

Systematic review; Level of evidence, 4.

Methods:

A search of the PubMed, SCOPUS, and Cochrane databases was performed on June 2020 for studies of patients who underwent ACLR and had a minimum follow-up of 20 years. We extracted data on patient and surgical characteristics, patient-reported outcomes (Lysholm score, subjective International Knee Documentation Committee [IKDC] score, Knee injury and Osteoarthritis Outcome Score [KOOS], and Tegner score), clinical outcomes (IKDC grade, pivot shift, Lachman, and KT-1000 laxity), degree of OA (Kellgren-Lawrence, Ahlbäck, and IKDC OA grading), revisions, and failures. Relative risk (RR) of OA between the operated and contralateral knees was calculated as well as the pooled rate of revisions, failures, and conversion to total knee arthroplasty (TKA).

Results:

Included were 16 studies (N = 1771 patients; mean age, 24.8 years; mean follow-up, 22.7 years); 80% of the patients underwent single-bundle bone–patellar tendon–bone (BPTB) reconstruction. The average Lysholm (89.3), IKDC (78.6), and KOOS subscale scores were considered satisfactory. Overall, 33% of patients had “abnormal” or “severely abnormal” objective IKDC grade, 6.7% had KT-1000 laxity difference of ≥5 mm, 9.4% had Lachman ≥2+, and 6.4% had pivot shift ≥2+. Signs of OA were reported in 73.3% of patients, whereas severe OA was reported in 12.8%. The operated knee had a relative OA risk of 2.8 (P < .001) versus the contralateral knee. Identified risk factors for long-term OA were male sex, older age at surgery, delayed ACLR, meniscal or cartilage injuries, BPTB autograft, lateral plasty, nonideal tunnel placement, residual laxity, higher postoperative activity, and postoperative range of motion deficits. Overall, 7.9% of patients underwent revision, and 13.4% of ACLRs were considered failures. TKA was performed in 1.1% of patients.

Conclusion:

Most patients had satisfactory subjective outcomes 20 years after ACLR; however, abnormal anteroposterior or rotatory laxity was found in nearly 10% of cases. The presence of radiographic OA was high (RR 2.8 vs uninjured knee), especially in patients with concomitant meniscal or cartilage injuries, older age, and delayed surgery; however, severe OA was present in only 12.8% of cases, and TKA was required in only 1.1%.

Long-Term Results of ACL Reconstruction Using a Nonanatomic Double-Bundle Technique with Extra-Articular Reinforcement

Extra-articular procedures for the improvement in rotational stability after anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) reconstruction have gained popularity in the last decade. This surgical gesture hoped to improve resistance to the high tensional forces affecting the ACL graft during cutting and pivoting movements of the lower extremity and eventually prevent ACL reconstruction failure. We performed this study to analyze the long-term results of patients undergoing ACL reconstruction using a nonanatomic double-bundle technique with an additional extra-articular augmentation. All the cases that underwent an ACL reconstruction using a nonanatomic double-bundle technique with an extra-articular reinforcement during the period between 1992 and 1997 were reviewed. The inclusion criteria for this study included a minimum follow-up of 10 years and age between 14 and 45 years at the time of the surgery. Forty patients were included in this series (34 males and 6 females). The mean Lysholm score after a minimum follow-up period of 10 years was 92.3 (standard deviation [SD], 9.4). The average preoperative Tegner score of the participants was 7.0 (SD, 1.1). This score decreased to 5.7 (SD, 1.2) at the end of follow-up. Follow-up X-rays were reviewed to assess the degenerative changes in the three knee compartments. Degenerative changes ≥ Kellgren-Lawrence grade 2 were observed in our six (15%) patients, all of them in the medial knee compartment. With these results, we conclude that double-bundle nonanatomic ACL reconstruction combined with an extra-articular reinforcement resembling the anterolateral ligament offers good overall long-term results, with relatively low rates of osteoarthritis.