The Impact of Surgical Timing on the Outcomes of Anterior Cruciate Ligament Combined with Anterolateral Structure Reconstruction
Liao Yuanping
Cao Guorui
Wang Xiao
Shi Xiaotao
Tan Honglue
Abstract：Objective To investigate the effect of different surgical timing on the outcomes of arthroscopic anterior cruciate ligament(ACL)combined with anterolateral structure(ALS)reconstruction.Methods A retrospective analysis was conducted on 68 patients with ACL injuries who underwent arthroscopic ACL combined with ALS reconstruction using autologous tendon grafts at Luoyang Zhenggu Hospital,Henan Province,from January 2019 to May 2023.Patients were divided into two groups:The acute phase group(injury to surgery ≤3 weeks)and the chronic phase group(injury to surgery＞3 weeks).The acute phase group consisted of 35 patients with an average time from injury to surgery of(10.97±5.46)days,included 9 males and 26 females,aged 15 to 41 years,with an average age of(29.06±8.21)years.The chronic phase group included 33 patients with an average time from injury to surgery of(269.39±512.59)days,included 10 males and 23 females,aged 16 to 52 years,with an average age of(29.70±9.48)years.Knee function was evaluated using the international knee documentation committee(IKDC)subjective and objective scores,Lysholm score,and Tegner activity scale.Knee stability was assessed through the Lachman test,anterior drawer test,and pivot shift test.Postoperative complications,including joint stiffness,deep venous thrombosis,wound infection,and surgical failure,were recorded.Results The patients were followed up for 12 to 50 months,with an average follow-up of(20.82±9.30)months in the acute phase group and(20.04±8.77)months in the chronic phase group.Both groups showed significant improvements in knee function and stability at the last follow-up compared to preoperative levels(P＜0.05).There were no statistically significant differences in knee function scores,knee stability evaluations,and postoperative complications between the two groups at 3,6,and 12 months,and at the final follow-up(P＞0.05).Conclusion Regardless of the surgical timing(acute or chronic phase),arthroscopic ACL combined with ALS reconstruction for ACL injuries leads to similar outcomes in terms of knee function and stability.The timing of surgery does not affect the postoperative outcomes of ACL combined with ALS reconstruction.
Keywords：anterior cruciate ligamentanterolateral structuresreconstructionsurgical timingefficacy
Publication Date：2025-03-25
Online Publishing Date：2025-08-15(First online date of this platform, not the publication date of the document)
Pages：6( 209-214 )