Anterior cruciate ligament reconstruction with hamstring tendons and cross-pin femoral fixation compared with patellar tendon autografts.

PURPOSE: To investigate the outcome of arthroscopic anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) reconstruction with hamstring autograft using femoral cross-pin fixation compared with patellar tendon autografts.

TYPE OF STUDY: Matched retrospective cohort.

METHODS: Twenty-one patients who underwent ACL reconstruction with hamstring autograft and femoral cross-pin fixation were evaluated at an average of 16.4 months postoperatively. Subjective data were collected using the International Knee Documentation Committee (IKDC) and the Cincinnati Knee Scale. Objective data included a comprehensive knee examination, plain radiographs, and KT-1000 measurements. The results were compared with 19 matched patients who had previously undergone ACL reconstruction using patellar tendon autograft.

RESULTS: The average KT-1000 maximal manual side-to-side difference was 1.63 +/- 0.68 mm. Eighty-six percent of IKDC scores were normal or nearly normal. The average overall Cincinnati Knee Scale subjective symptom rating was 8.7 +/- 1.2. There was no significant difference in subjective or objective data between the 2 groups.

CONCLUSIONS: ACL reconstruction using femoral cross-pin fixation is a reliable technique showing outcomes comparable to other established methods of fixation.

LEVEL OF EVIDENCE: Level IV, case series.