Autogenous tendon transplantation for repair of grade III medial collateral ligament injury

Zhu Wei-hong; Chen You; Wang Wan-chun; Huang Guo-liang; Chou Ke; Chen Xian-li

doi:10.3969/j.issn.2095-4344.2014.46.017

Abstract：BACKGROUND:Young patients with cruciate ligament injury and high activity levels are prone to grade III medial colateral ligament injury in knee joint. Conventional construction methods such as direct restoration of injured ligaments and muscle-tendon transposition may induce the loosening of medial colateral ligament complex. OBJECTIVE:To explore the clinical effect of autologous tendon transplantation for grade III medial colateral ligament injury of the knee joint. METHODS: Forty-seven patients with grade III medial colateral ligament rupture were treated by operative repair and reconstruction. After repairing the anatomical structure of medial colateral ligaments, we liberated organic semitendinous tendon, bone-patela tendon-bone, and hamstring tendon, to reconstruct superficial medial colateral ligament. RESULTS AND CONCLUSION:Thirty-seven patients were folowed up for 48 months. Preoperative Lysholm score, IKDC score, Tegner score at the final folow-up, and the widened medial joint space on valgus stress X-Ray films were significantly improved compared with before reconstruction (P < 0.05). According to clinical efficacy scores, 12 cases achieved excelent reconstruction, 18 cases achieved good reconstruction, 4 cases achieved moderate reconstruction, and 3 cases achieved poor reconstruction. The excelent and good rate was 82%. Medial colateral ligament reconstruction based on repairing the anatomical structure is effective and satisfactory. Autologous bone-patela tendon-bone or semitendinous tendon is a good choice for medial colateral ligament reconstruction.