Anterior Cruciate Ligament Repair With Suture Tape Augmentation of Proximal Tears and Early Anterior Cruciate Ligament Reconstruction With Suture Tape Augmentation Result in Comparable Clinical Outcomes With Anterior Cruciate Ligament Reconstruction at 2-Year Follow-Up.

Purpose: To compare the postoperative side-to-side laxity and short-term clinical outcomes of patients who received primary anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) repair with suture tape augmentation, acute anterior cruciate ligament reconstruction (ACLR) with suture tape augmentation performed within 8 weeks of injury (ACLR), or ACLR beyond 8 weeks of injury.

Methods: After institutional review board approval was obtained, 100 patients were enrolled in this prospective trial: 34 primary ACL repair with suture tape augmentation, 33 ACLRs performed within 8 weeks of injury (ACLR), and 33 ACLRs. Patients were allocated to ACL repair if a proximal avulsion was present with good tissue quality (Sherman type 1), confirmed by intraoperative diagnostic arthroscopy.