Anterior cruciate ligament femoral socket drilling with a retrograde reamer: lessons from the learning curve.

Whereas "anatomic" anterior cruciate ligament reconstruction may improve clinical results, the technique has introduced new technical challenges. The purpose of this technical note and video is to explore tips and tricks that improve femoral socket drilling with a retrograde reamer, bone-patellar tendon-bone graft passage, and interference screw fixation. The techniques for retrograde femoral socket drilling in an inside-out direction, bone-patellar tendon-bone graft passage, and interference screw fixation are described and demonstrated. Pitfalls, troubleshooting tips, and possible solutions are discussed. With the retrograde reamer, the femoral socket can be placed in the footprint of the anterior cruciate ligament with a longer and more vertical tunnel. By modifying the size of the patellar bone plug, graft passage is improved. With care and technique, interference screw fixation in the femoral socket over a guidewire is possible.