Soccer players and adolescents had an increased risk of revision surgery after ACL reconstruction, with a respective factor of 1.5 and 2.5. Individuals with a combination of these 2 predictors carried an almost 3-fold higher risk of revision surgery. There were no significant associations for sex, height, weight, body mass index, or tobacco use.

Metal interference screw fixation of a semitendinosus tendon autograft on the tibia was an independent predictor of significantly lower 2-year incidence of revision surgery. Graft selection, graft width, a single-bundle or a double-bundle technique, femoral graft fixation, the injury-to-surgery interval, and meniscus injury were not predictors of early revision surgery.

In both male and female participants, age <20 years predicted an almost 3 times higher 5-year risk of contralateral ACL reconstruction. Among female participants undergoing reconstruction with autograft hamstring, a contralateral harvest predicted a more than 3 times higher 5-year risk of contralateral ACL reconstruction. Patient sex, activity at the time of index injury, graft selection, meniscal injury, and chondral injury were not predictors of contralateral ACL reconstruction.

PurposeTo investigate the association between surgical variables and the risk of revision surgery after ACL reconstruction in the Swedish National Knee Ligament Register.MethodsThis cohort study was based on data from the Swedish National Knee Ligament Register. Patients who underwent primary single-bundle ACL reconstruction with hamstring tendon were included. Follow-up started with primary ACL reconstruction and ended with ACL revision surgery or on 31 December, 2014, whichever occurred first. Details on surgical technique were collected using an online questionnaire. All group comparisons were made in relation to an “anatomic” reference group, comprised of essential AARSC items, defined as utilization of accessory medial portal drilling, anatomic tunnel placement, visualization of insertion sites and pertinent landmarks. Study end-point was revision surgery.ResultsA total of 108 surgeons (61.7%) replied to the questionnaire. A total of 17,682 patients were included [n = 10,013 males (56.6%) and 7669 females (43.4%)]. The overall revision rate was 3.1%. Older age as well as cartilage injury evident at index surgery was associated with a decreased risk of revision surgery. The group using transtibial drilling and non-anatomic bone tunnel placement was associated with a lower risk of revision surgery [HR 0.694 (95% CI 0.490–0.984); P = 0.041] compared with the anatomic reference group. The anatomic reference group showed no difference in risk of revision surgery compared with the transtibial drilling groups with partial anatomic [HR 0.759 (95% CI 0.548–1.051), n.s.] and anatomic tunnel placement [HR 0.944 (95% CI 0.718–1.241), n.s.]. The anatomic reference group showed a decreased risk of revision surgery compared with the transportal drilling group with anatomic placement [HR 1.310 (95% CI 1.047–1.640); P = 0.018].ConclusionNon-anatomic bone tunnel placement via transtibial drilling resulted in the lowest risk of revision surgery after ACL reconstruction. The risk of revision surgery increased when using transportal drilling. Performing anatomic ACL reconstruction utilizing eight selected essential items from the AARSC lowered the risk of revision surgery associated with transportal drilling and anatomic bone tunnel placement. Detailed knowledge of surgical technique using the AARSC predicts the risk of ACL revision surgery.Level of evidenceIII.