Outcome of arthroscopic single bundle reconstruction for complete posterior cruciate ligament tear.

PURPOSE: To evaluate the clinical outcome and correlate the results and degenerative change of the affected knees with the duration of injury, ligament laxity and follow-up time in 30 patients with 31 knees undergoing arthroscopic single bundle reconstruction for complete posterior cruciate ligament (PCL) tear with 2-9-year follow-up.
MATERIALS AND METHODS: This series included 22 men and 8 women with an average age of 32 years. High-energy trauma accounts for 93.5% of PCL injury, while only 6.5% are sports related. Arthroscopic single bundle PCL reconstruction was performed in all knees. The average follow-up time was 40 (range: 24-108) months. The methods of evaluation included functional assessment, ligament laxity and radiograph of the knee.
RESULTS: The overall clinical results showed 77.4% satisfactory (61.3% excellent and 16.1% good) and 22.6% unsatisfactory (16.1% fair and 6.5% poor). Complete restoration of ligament stability was noted in 52% of the knees with one third showing mild (0-5 mm) and 9.7% moderate (5-10 mm) ligament laxity. The incidence of radiographic degenerative changes was 52% (16/31), and it correlated with the duration of injury, severity of ligament laxity and length of follow-up time.
CONCLUSION: Arthroscopic single bundle reconstruction produced 77.4% satisfactory clinical results in medium term follow-up. Despite good clinical results, complete restoration of ligament stability was achieved in only 52% of the knees. The incidence of degenerative changes of the affected knees was 52% that correlated with the duration of injury, ligament laxity and follow-up time.