Single-bundle posterior cruciate ligament reconstruction with remnant preservation: lateral versus medial-sided augmentation technique.

Objective: To compare the results of lateral versus medial-sided augmentation techniques in single-bundle posterior cruciate ligament (PCL) reconstruction with remnant preservation.

Methods: Forty-two cases of isolated chronic PCL ruptures were reconstructed in a single-bundle manner with remnant preservation. The patients were randomly separated into two groups: in the medial-sided augmentation (MSA) group the graft passed through the medial side of the remnant and in the lateral-sided augmentation (LSA) group it passed through the lateral side.

Results: Nineteen patients in the MSA group and 17 in the LSA group were followed up for a minimum of 2 years. At the final follow-up, the average side-to-side differences in posterior laxity were 1.6 ± 1.2 mm and 1.5 ± 1.3 mm respectively in the MSA and LSA groups. According to the International Knee Documentation Committee (IKDC) scale, patient numbers graded as normal, nearly normal and abnormal were 14 (73.7%), 4 (21.1%), and 1 (5.3%) in the MSA group, and 13 (76.5%), 3 (17.6%), and 1 (5.9%) in the LSA group. The IKDC subjective scores were 93.1 ± 3.8 and 92.6 ± 4.1, the Lysholm scores were 95.0 ± 4.6 and 93.7 ± 4.2, and the Tegner scores were 5.4 ± 0.9 and 5.6 ± 0.7 respectively in the MSA and LSA groups. Statistical analysis showed no significant differences between the MSA and the LSA group regarding all subjective and objective results.

Conclusion: In single-bundle PCL reconstruction with remnant preservation, similar subjective and objective results can be obtained with MSA and LSA techniques.