Long-term functional results in patients with anterolateral rotatory instability treated by iliotibial band transfer.

The purpose of this paper is to define the use of the extraarticular, lateral reconstruction in the spectrum of patients with cruciate deficiency. A review was conducted of 112 consecutive patients with a MacIntosh-type iliotibial band transfer done between 1972 and 1986. Fifty-six of the patients had a partial or complete meniscectomy, and 24% had failed a previous extraarticular procedure. Eighty-one percent were men, with a mean age of 23. Twenty-five percent of the patients had radiographic degenerative changes at the knee at the outset. Ninety-eight percent had an anterior drawer of 1+ or greater; 97% had a pivot shift greater than trace. All patients had symptomatic knee instability. Seventy-seven of the 112 patients (69%) were available for followup (range, 24 months to 15.5 years; median, 7.6). Twenty-three patients (21%) returned for examination, KT-1000 and Cybex testing, and radiographs. An additional 54 patients (48%) were seen by their local physicians or returned a detailed questionnaire that included the Cincinnati knee rating scale. At final followup, 38% complained of some knee instability, 36% had recurrent effusions, 61% had intermittent pain, 79% had radiographic gonarthrosis, and 25% had undergone additional surgery. Forty-two percent had a positive Lachman after surgery, and only 15% had a pivot shift. The mean knee score was 81.1. Previous extraarticular anterior cruciate ligament reconstruction, meniscectomy, and generalized ligamentous laxity were associated with a significant decrement in the knee rating (P = 0.05). Ligamentous laxity strongly correlated with symptoms of giving way.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)