Current trends in anterior cruciate ligament surgery. A worldwide benchmark study.

Objectives: To benchmark current trends on anterior cruciate ligament reconstruction (ACLR) surgery.

Methods: The largest worldwide ACLR survey to date was performed during May 2020, targeted to reach representation of all continents. It was submitted electronically to all International Society of Arthroscopy, Knee Surgery and Orthopaedic Sports surgeons (n = 3,026), asking those who perform ACLR to respond.

Results: With a final sample size of 2,107, the overall response rate was 69.6%. Median years of practice as orthopaedic surgeon was 15 (range 1-52) and 49.6% of all respondents were defined as high-volume surgeons (>50 ACLR annually). Hamstrings tendon autograft was the preferred graft for primary ACLR (80.3%) and the medial portal femoral drilling was the most frequently used technique (78.5%). Cortical buttons (82.7%) and bioabsorbable screws (62.7%) were the preferred fixation methods for hamstring tendon autograft ACLR in femur and tibia, respectively. Metallic screws (45.2%) were the preferred fixation methods for bone patellar tendon bone autograft in femur and tibia. Most of the respondents routinely used pre-tensioning techniques for their graft preparation (63.8%), but less than half of surgeons preferred antibiotic soaking of the grafts (45.3%). The preferred knee position for graft fixation was 10-30° of knee flexion and neutral rotation (57.0%). The addition of anterolateral augmentation (or extra-articular tenodesis) was infrequent in primary and isolated ACLR (10.0%), but a statistically significant raise was seen for revision surgeries (20.0%). Most used brace in the initial postoperative rehabilitation (54.9%) and the time to allow patients to fully resume sports was at an average of 8.9 ± 2.0 months. Treatment algorithm of paediatric ACL injuries exhibited a low consensus among the respondents.

Conclusion: This worldwide survey benchmarks the current trends in ACL reconstruction, achieving the largest participation of surgeons to date. Among the great variety of options available for ACL reconstructions, surgeons' preferences showed some differences according to their location and expertise. Reporting trends in practice, and not only the evidence, is important to medical education and providing patients the safest care possible. This is a Level V, expert opinion study.