The patient with symptomatic chronic anterior cruciate ligament insufficiency. Results of minimal arthroscopic surgery and rehabilitation.

Forty-nine patients with 51 chronic symptomatic anterior cruciate deficient knees were studied retrospectively by chart review and follow-up examination an average of 5.8 years postinjury and 1.5 years from arthroscopic evaluation, with or without arthroscopic surgery, and the institution of a conservative rehabilitation program. Subjective evaluation of function was obtained by questionnaire. At arthroscopy, meniscal lesions were seen in 37 of 51 knees, and degenerative changes were noted in 24 knees. The ACL was absent in 43 knees. Partial meniscectomy or suturing was performed on 20 patients. All patients had an average of 3 weeks of supervised physical therapy stressing hamstring strengthening. At followup, thigh girth measurements of injured and normal legs found thigh wasting in 40 patients. Seven of 33 patients radiographed showed evidence of degenerative changes. About two-thirds of the patients returned to some level of athletics and had no problems with activities of daily living. Twenty were able to return to pivoting sports, but only five could return to their preinjury levels of competition. Of the 18 patients who did not return to athletics, only 8 were considering or had had a ligament reconstruction. Those patients who chose to continue rehabilitation beyond the prescribed period and who modified their activities had a better functional outcome.