Anterior Cruciate Reconstruction in pre-adolescent children, using an extraphisary, intra and extra articular technique with an iliotibial band autograft

Abstract

Introduction: the purpose of this paper is to retrospectively evaluate clinical, functional and imagenological outcomes of a series of patients with skeletal immaturity Tanner 1 and 2, surgically intervened by physis preservation intra and extra articular reconstruction with iliotibial band autograft method described by Micheli. Evaluate growth or angular disturbances related to the surgical technique.

Materials and methods: twenty-two knees in twenty patients with average bone age 10.1 years were evaluated with a 5.6 year follow up. Clinical evaluation of ROM and stability was made by arthrometry KT-1000, functional scales were applied, image evaluation of length discrepancy, angular deformity and integrity evaluation by magnetic resonance were also done.

Results: no ROM deficit compared with the contralateral knee was observed, Lachman, Pivot shift tests and KT-1000 evaluation were normal in 91, 95 and 95% of patients, respectively. There were two cases of graft rupture (9%). No angular femoral or tibial deformities or length discrepancies were observed. Functional scales showed IKDC 95.4, pediatric IKDC 92.3 in patients who underwent the scale, Lysholm 94.1 and Tegner 7 with return to sports of 90% to pre level activity. 100% of patients without graft rupture had graft integrity in the RM evaluation.

Conclusion: the surgical technique is safe and reproductible, restores anteroposterior and rotational stability of the knee without growth arrest in this population, obtaining excellent scores in subjective rating scales, high return to sports index with low rerupture rates.