A Prospective Randomized Study of Anterior Cruciate Ligament Reconstruction With Autograft, γ-Irradiated Allograft, and Hybrid Graft.

PURPOSE: To compare the results of patients who underwent anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) reconstruction with autograft, γ-irradiated allograft, or hybrid graft in a prospective randomized study with a minimum clinical follow-up period of 5 years.

METHODS: In this prospective, randomized, comparative study, 102 patients with ACL tears underwent ACL reconstruction with autograft (gracilis and semitendinosus tendons), γ-irradiated allograft (tibialis anterior tendons), or hybrid graft (γ-irradiated tibialis anterior tendon allograft and semitendinosus tendon autograft). Laboratory testing of the erythrocyte sedimentation rate and C-reaction protein level were performed; clinical results were evaluated with the KT-1000 arthrometer (MEDmetric, San Diego, CA), Lachman test, Lysholm score, Tegner activity score, and International Knee Documentation Committee evaluation (both objective and subjective).

RESULTS: There were 32 patients in the autograft group, 31 in the hybrid graft group, and 32 in the γ-irradiated allograft group at last follow-up. No differences were found among the 3 groups regarding patient demographic data and the duration from injury to operation (P > .05). The C-reaction protein and erythrocyte sedimentation rate values were statistically higher in the γ-irradiated allograft group than in the other 2 groups on the third, seventh, and fourteenth days (P < .05). No significant differences were found between the autograft and hybrid graft groups (P > .05). The KT-1000 examination showed more anterior laxity in the γ-irradiated allograft group than in the other 2 groups (P < .05). No significant differences in the Lachman test and pivot-shift test findings were found among the 3 groups (P > .05). The Lysholm score, Tegner activity score, and International Knee Documentation Committee evaluation (subjective and objective) showed no differences among the 3 groups (P > .05).

CONCLUSIONS: Patients undergoing primary ACL reconstruction with hybrid graft or autograft had satisfactory and similar objective and subjective clinical results. On KT-1000 measurement of anteroposterior knee laxity, both the autograft and hybrid graft groups showed statistically significant differences compared with the γ-irradiated allograft group.

LEVEL OF EVIDENCE: Level II, prospective comparative study.