Osteoarthritis after anterior cruciate ligament reconstruction using a patellar tendon autograft.

We studied 58 knees that underwent anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) reconstruction using a patella tendon autograft. The mean age at reconstruction was 30.4 (18-58) years, and the average follow-up was 11.2 (8.6-13.8) years. The presence of osteoarthritis was assessed radiographically using Kellgren and Lawrence's classification. Osteoarthritis was detected in the medial compartment in 25 cases and in the lateral compartment in 14 cases. Significant independent predictors of osteoarthritis were: accompanying meniscal injury [odds ratio (OR) 9.19), p<0.001], an interval of more than 6 months from injury to reconstruction (OR 4.77, p=0.021), and age more than 25 years at reconstruction (OR 3.37, p=0.034). However, no statistically significant correlation was found between the development of osteoarthritis and clinical outcome or radiological stability.