Comparison of Patient-Reported Outcomes, Strength, and Functional Performance in Primary Versus Revision Anterior Cruciate Ligament Reconstruction

Abstract

Background: Clinical outcomes after revision anterior cruciate ligament reconstruction (ACLR) are not well understood. Hypothesis: Patients undergoing revision ACLR would demonstrate worse patient-reported outcomes and worse limb symmetry compared with a cohort undergoing primary ACLR. Study Design: Cohort study; Level of evidence, 3. Methods: 672 participants (373 with primary ACLR, 111 with revision ACLR, and 188 uninjured) completed functional testing at a single academic medical center. Descriptive information, operative variables, and patient-reported outcomes (International Knee Documentation Committee score, Knee injury and Osteoarthritis Outcome Score, and Tegner Activity Scale score) were assessed for each patient. Quadriceps and hamstring strength tests were conducted using a Biodex System 3 Dynamometer. Single-leg hop for distance, triple hop test, and the 6-m timed hop test were also assessed. Limb symmetry index (LSI) between the ACLR limb and contralateral limb was calculated for strength and hop testing. Normalized peak torque (N·m/kg) was calculated for strength testing. Results: No differences were found in group characteristics, excluding body mass ( P < .001), or in patient-reported outcomes. There were no interactions between revision status, graft type, and sex. Knee extension LSI was inferior ( P < .001) in participants who had undergone primary (73.0% ± 15.0%) and revision (77.2% ± 19.1%) ACLR compared with healthy, uninjured participants (98.8% ± 10.4%). Knee flexion LSI was inferior ( P = .04) in the primary group (97.4% ± 18.4%) compared with the revision group (101.9% ± 18.5%). Difference in knee flexion LSI between the uninjured and primary groups, as well as between the uninjured and revision groups, did not reach statistical significance. Hop LSI outcomes were significantly different across all groups ( P < .001). Between-group differences in extension in the involved limb ( P < .001) were noted, as the uninjured group exhibited stronger knee extension (2.16 ± 0.46 N·m/kg) than the primary group (1.67 ± 0.47 N·m/kg) and the revision group (1.78 ± 0.48 N·m/kg). As well, differences in flexion in the involved limb ( P = .01) were found, as the revision group exhibited stronger knee flexion (1.06 ± 0.25 N·m/kg) than the primary group (0.97 ± 0.29 N·m/kg) and the uninjured group (0.98 ± 0.24 N·m/kg). Conclusion: At 7 months postoperatively, patients who had undergone revision ACLR did not demonstrate inferior patient-reported outcomes, limb symmetry, strength, or functional performance compared with patients who had undergone primary ACLR. Patients who had undergone revision ACLR exhibited greater strength and LSI than their counterparts with primary ACLR, but these parameters were still inferior to those of uninjured controls.

Modified Lemaire extra-articular tenodesis with soft anchors in patients with high-grade anterior knee instability undergoing revision anterior cruciate ligament reconstruction (ACLR)

“…In the present study, the capacity to resume sport activities as well as subjective knee function and knee stability showed signi cant improvement at the follow-up. These results are consistent with the most satisfactory outcomes reported in the most recent literature [3,19]. De ning failure as a grade 2 or 3 pivot shift and an arthrometric side-to-side difference more than 5 mm, the failure rate in this group of patients was 6.6% (one patient).…”

Combining return to sport, psychological readiness, body mass, hamstring strength symmetry, and hamstring/quadriceps ratio increases the risk of a second anterior cruciate ligament injury

“…In this period, ACLR success rates ranged from 75 to 90%, although many patients reported unsatisfactory results, such as recurrent pain and instability [38]. With the understanding of the complexity of return to sport (RTS) after ACLR and the biopsychosocial model, studies [7,30,34] began to consider objective measures of performance, such as strength, single-leg jump, neuromuscular control, and patient-reported outcome measures, to assess ACLR success. Despite the importance of the measures mentioned above, the main outcomes after ACLR used both in research and the clinical environment are RTS and second ACL injury (ipsilateral and contralateral) [22].…”