Anterior cruciate ligament reconstruction in patients over 40 years using hamstring autograft

Anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) reconstruction is becoming increasingly popular in active middle-aged patients with symptomatic instability. The purpose of this study was to retrospectively evaluate the results of ACL reconstruction in patients over the age of 40. Twenty-one patients with a median age of 44 (range 40–56) who had arthroscopically assisted reconstruction using four-stranded hamstring autograft were reviewed. RCI titanium interference screw fixation was used in the tibia, and Endobutton CL fixation in the femur. The clinical results were assessed at a mean follow-up of 2 years. The median value for the Lysholm knee score was 92 (range 74–100), and the median value for the International Knee Documentation Committee score was 83 (range 53–97). For the Tegner activity scale, the median value was 6 (range 4–8) at follow-up. The median side-to-side difference using the KT-1000 arthrometer was 2 mm (range 0–3.5 mm). Hamstring ACL reconstruction in appropriately selected middle-aged patients can yield successful and satisfactory results.