Anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) ruptures are commonly associated with meniscal and articular cartilage injuries, and the presence of these defects influences both short- and long-term outcomes. Multiple variables are predictive of this pathology including time from injury, age, and sex. Revision ACL reconstructions demonstrate higher rates of chondral injury than primary reconstructions. Menisci are important secondary stabilizers of the knee in the setting of ACL deficiency, and specific tear types are more consistently associated with ACL injury. Successful outcomes with multiple treatment options for meniscal tears in conjunction with ACL reconstruction have been reported. Maintaining meniscal integrity may be protective of both joint surfaces and graft stability in the long term; however, clear treatment recommendations for tear subtypes remain ill defined. High-grade chondral defects have the most consistent and potentially largest negative effect on long-term patient-reported outcomes; however, optimal treatment is also controversial with successful results demonstrated with several modalities including benign neglect.

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Background:Cartilage injury associated with anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) ruptures is common; however, relatively few reports exist on concurrent cartilage repair with ACL reconstruction. Autologous chondrocyte implantation (ACI) has been utilized successfully for treatment of moderate to large chondral defects.Hypothesis:ACL insufficiency with relatively large chondral defects may be effectively managed with concurrent ACL reconstruction and ACI.Study Design:Case series; Level of evidence, 4.Methods:Patients undergoing concurrent ACL primary or revision reconstruction with ACI of single or multiple cartilage defects were prospectively evaluated for a minimum 2 years. Pre- and postoperative outcome measures included the modified Cincinnati Rating Scale (MCRS), Western Ontario and McMaster Universities Osteoarthritis Index, visual analog pain scales, and postsurgery satisfaction surveys. ACI graft failure or persistent pain without functional improvement were considered treatment failures.Results:Twenty-six patients were included, with 13 primary and 13 revision ACL reconstructions performed. Mean defect total surface area was 8.4 cm2, with a mean follow-up of 95 months (range, 24-240 months). MCRS improved from 3.62 ± 1.42 to 5.54 ± 2.32, Western Ontario and McMaster Universities Osteoarthritis Index from 45.31 ± 17.27 to 26.54 ± 17.71, and visual analog pain scale from 6.19 ± 1.27 to 3.65 ± 1.77 (all Ps <.001). Eight patients were clinical failures, 69% of patients were improved at final follow-up, and 92% stated they would likely undergo the procedure again. No outcome correlation was found with regard to age, body mass index, sex, defect size/number, follow-up time, or primary versus revision ACL reconstruction. In subanalysis, revision ACL reconstructions had worse preoperative MCRS scores and greater defect surface areas. However, revision MCRS score improvements were greater, resulting in similar final functional scores when compared with primary reconstructions.Conclusion:Challenging cases of ACL tears with large chondral defects treated with concurrent ACL reconstruction and ACI can lead to moderately improved pain and function at long-term follow-up. Factors associated with clinical failure are not clear. When combined with ACI, patients undergoing revision ACL reconstructions have worse function preoperatively compared with those undergoing primary reconstructions but have similar final outcomes.