Return to Sport and Re-Injury Rate after Double-Bundle Anterior Cruciate Ligament Reconstruction with at least Five Years of Follow-Up.

Background: This study retrospectively evaluated the medium- and long-term results of patients submitted to double-bundle (DB) anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) reconstruction.

Methods: A retrospective study of case series at a single center. Cases submitted to isolated ACL reconstruction with at least five years of follow-up were included. The following data were collected: demographic data; practice of competitive sport before the injury; previous surgery; injury/surgery in the contralateral knee; return to the practices of sports and level; re-injury (postoperative time; mechanism; need for surgery); and symptoms at the last clinical follow-up visit. Descriptive and sub-group analyses were performed.

Results: Sixty-nine patients were included; 52 men (75%), 49 athletes (71%), 47 (68%) with primary injury, mean age of 30 years (SD 10). The patients were followed up for an average of 8.7 years (minimum 5, maximum 11.8) after surgery. After the reconstruction, 67 (97%) returned to the sport; 75% at the same level as before the injury. Ten patients (14%) suffered re-injury after an average of 32 months (between 9 and 50 months). Regarding the outcome of re-injury, no statistically significant differences were found between subgroups of athletes vs non-athletes or primary injury vs revision surgery, despite a significant tendency towards increased re-injury levels in athletes. However, this tendency was not statistically significant.

Conclusion: In our series of patients operated on with the double-bundle technique and with a long follow-up time, 14% presented re-injury, with no differences between primary and revision cases, and with a trend towards higher re-injury levels among the athletes in relation to the non-athletes. The rate of return to sport was satisfactory, with 97%, of which 75% were playing at the same level as before the injury.