[Anterior cruciate ligament reconstruction using quadriceps tendon autograft and press-fit fixation].

Background: Reconstruction of the anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) is a widely used procedure, but up to now no results have been published on an implant-free technique using a quadriceps tendon autograft and press-fit fixation.

Methods: A total of 112 patients with primary rupture of the anterior cruciate ligament were included in a prospective case control study and 106 patients could be evaluated postoperatively after a mean of 12.4 months (range 12-14 months).

Results: The patients showed good to excellent results according to the Lysholm score in 81% and the International Knee Documentation Committee (IKDC) score in 86% of cases. Furthermore the anterior-posterior translation was less than 3 mm in 83% of the patients by testing with the KT-1000 arthrometer. Neither tunnel widening nor an increase of radiological joint degeneration was recorded by radiological examination.

Conclusion: Reconstruction of the ACL with an autologous quadriceps tendon and an implant-free technique yielded good results compared to established operative methods in the short-term and should be consistently followed-up for long-term confirmation.