Success of revision anterior cruciate ligament reconstruction requires detailed preoperative evaluation of the repeated instability of the knee. The treatment plan is then decided upon. The patients must be preoperativevely informed about the real possibilities of revision surgery. Only a mutual collaboration between the patient, physiatrist and a surgeon is a key for successful treatment and return to previous level of sports activities.

In order to prevent anterior cruciate ligament injuries it is necessary to define risk factors and to analyze the most frequent causes of injuries--that being the aim of this study. The study sample consisted of 451 surgically treated patients, including 400 sportsmen (65% of them being active and 35% recreational sportsmen), 29% female and 71% male; of whom 90% were younger than 35. Sports injuries, as the most frequent cause of anterior cruciate ligament injuries, were recorded in 88% of patients (non-contact ones in 78% and contact ones in 22%), injuries occurring in everyday activities in 11% and in traffic in 1%. Among sportsmen, reconstruction of the anterior cruciate ligament was most frequently performed in football players (48%), then in handball players (22%), basketball players (13%), volleyball players (8%), martial arts fighters (4%). However, the injury incidence was the highest among the active basketball players (1 injured among 91 active players). Type of footwear, warming up before the activity, genetic predisposition and everyday therapy did not have a significant influence on getting injured. Anterior cruciate ligament injuries happened three times more often during matches, in the middle and at the end of a match and training session (79%), at landing after the jump or when changing direction of movement (75%) without a contact with other competitors, on dry surfaces (79%), among not so well prepared sportsmen.

The choice of graft is a less important factor in the reconstruction of anterior cruciate ligament than its placing, tensioning and fixation, because a significant difference between groups was recorded only by the International Knee Documentation Committee standard.

The patients with lower extremity amputations have numerous limitations compared to the control group, regardless of gender, while the patients with lower level of amputation have a higher level of physical functioning.

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