The goal of this study is to evaluate the incidence rate of iatrogenic injuries to the infrapatellar branch(es) of saphenous nerve during ACL reconstruction with four-strand hamstring tendon autograft. Retrospective review of 226 patients that underwent 230 arthroscopically assisted primary ACL reconstructions with four-strand hamstring tendon autograft, between March 2002 and December 2004. The patients were separated into two groups. In group 1 (116 knees) the tendon was harvested and tibia prepared through a 3-cm vertical surgical incision (between March 2002 and September 2003) and in group 2 (114 knees) through a 3-cm horizontal surgical incision (between October 2003 and December 2004). In group 1, we found 39.7% of the patients with disturbed sensitivity in the area of the infrapatellar branch(es) of the saphenous nerve distribution. In patients of group 2 the incidence of nerve injury was 14.9% (P<0.001). The horizontal surgical incision in harvesting hamstrings tendon autograft for ACL reconstruction was found to have less associated chance of iatrogenic injury to the infrapatellar branch(es) of the saphenous nerve. No technical ties were found in both incisions for graft harvest.

Despite the fact that anterior cruciate ligament reconstruction (ACLR) is a common procedure, no clear guideline regarding the timing of reconstruction has been established. We hypothesized that there is a point in post injury period, after which significant increase in meniscal tears occurs. The purpose of this study was to derive a guideline in order to reduce the rate of secondary meniscal tears in the ACL-deficient knee. A total of 451 patients were retrospectively studied and divided into six groups according to the time from injury to ACLR: (a) 105 patients had undergone ACLR within 1.5 months post injury, (b) 93 patients within 1.5-3 months, (c) 72 patients within fourth to sixth month, (d) 56 patients within seventh to twelfth month, (e) 45 patients within the second year and (f) 80 patients within the third to fifth year. The presence of meniscal tears was noted at the time of ACL reconstruction and then recorded and statistically analysed. Fifty-three (50.5%) patients from group a, 46 (49.5%) from group b, 39 (54.2%) from group c, 31 (68.9%) from group d, 28 (62.2%) from group e and 54 (67.5%) from group f had meniscal tear requiring treatment. The statistical analysis demonstrated that the earliest point of significantly higher incidence of meniscal tears was in patients undergoing ACLR more than 3 months post injury. Therefore, ACLR should be carried out within the first 3 months post injury in order to minimise the risk of secondary meniscal tears.

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The short-term clinical results of meniscus repair with the meniscus arrow were promising. Unfavorable outcomes were reported in two studies, with longer follow-up, raising concerns about the efficacy of this device. We retrospectively reviewed 62 patients (mean age 23.7 years; range 14-37 years) that underwent all-inside meniscus repair, using the meniscus arrow. Seventeen patients had an isolated meniscus tear (ACL intact group) and 45 patients concomitant ACL rupture that was reconstructed at the same time with the meniscus repair (ACL reconstructed group). All patients followed a non-aggressive rehabilitation protocol. Follow-up was assessed by clinical examination, Lysholm and Tegner score, IKDC knee examination form and KT-2000 arthrometry for the anteroposterior laxity of the reconstructed knees. At an average follow-up of 73 months (range 49-96 months) there were three failures (4.8%), one from the ACL intact group and two from the ACL reconstructed group. One patient developed arthrofibrosis (ACL reconstructed group) that resolved conservatively. Soft tissue irritation at the repair site was noted in three patients. In two patients the symptoms were transient. In the third patient the arrow tip was cut off under local anaesthesia due to saphenous infrapatellar branch irritation and the symptoms resolved (inappropriate arrow size). KT-2000 arthrometry showed that sagittal knee laxity was less than 3 mm in all reconstructed knees. The mean Tegner activity score decreased from 6.7 (pretrauma) to 6.2 (postoperatively). The average Lysholm score was 96, with normal or nearly normal function of all success knees, according to the IKDC knee examination form. Our results show a high clinical success rate of meniscus repair with the meniscus arrow. We found this device both safe and effective.

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