Five- to ten-year follow-up evaluation after reconstruction of the anterior cruciate ligament.

Long-term follow-up evaluation of a large number of patients who had undergone reconstruction of the anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) was performed. Of these patients, 87 were treated by reconstruction with the medial one third of the medial patellar tendon, and they were examined a mean of 7.9 years after surgery. All patients were extensively evaluated and examined by standard clinical techniques and a machine specifically designed to quantify primary laxity during the anterior drawer and Lachman tests. Seventy-one percent of the patients were satisfied with the results, and 69% had good to excellent results by the authors' subjective functional criteria. Patients who had the least motion and the best check or end points to the Lachman and anterior drawer tests had the best functional results. Only ten of the 27 unsatisfactory results occurred because of complete failure of the graft. Arthrosis and parapatellar pain were the most frequently observed contributing factors to failure in the presence of a clinically intact ligament (11 instances each).