Top

Knee Surgery, Sports Traumatology, Arthroscopy

Published in:

01-02-2007 | Knee

Hamstring tendons regeneration after ACL reconstruction: an overview

Authors: Vassilios S. Nikolaou, Nicolas Efstathopoulos, Torsten Wredmark

Published in: Knee Surgery, Sports Traumatology, Arthroscopy | Issue 2/2007

Abstract

Despite the long lasting research the ideal method of reconstructing the ACL has not been found so far. The last year’s attention has shifted to the use of the multistrand hamstring tendon grafts. High ultimate tensile load, multiple-bundle replacement that better approximates the anatomy of the normal ACL and low donor site morbidity are the main advantages of this ACL replacement graft. These theoretical advantages have been multiplied when surprisingly studies have shown that semitendinosus and grascillis tendons actually regenerate after harvesting for use as ACL autografts. In this review article we summarize the current knowledge concerning the hamstring regeneration and we focus on issues that have clinical relevance or issues that have not been answered so far.

Dandy DJ (1996) Historical overview of operations for anterior cruciate ligament rupture. Knee Surg Sports Traumatol Arthrosc 3(4):256–261PubMedCrossRef

Amiel D, Kleiner JB, Roux RD et al (1986) The phenomenon of “ligamentization”: anterior cruciate ligament reconstruction with autogenous patellar tendon. J Orthop Res 4:162–172PubMedCrossRef

Sachs RA, Daniel DM, Stone ML, Garfein RF (1989) Patellofemoral problems after anterior cruciate ligament reconstruction. Am J Sports Med 17:760–765PubMed

Kohn D, Sander-Beuermann A (1994) Donor-site morbidity after harvest of a bone–tendon–bone patellar tendon autograft. Knee Surg Sports Traumatol Arthrosc 2:219–223PubMedCrossRef

Miller MD, Nichols T, Butler CA (1999) Patella fracture and proximal patellar tendon rupture following arthroscopic anterior cruciate ligament reconstruction. Arthroscopy 15:640–643PubMedCrossRef

Maeda A, Shino K, Horibe S et al (1996) Anterior cruciate ligament reconstruction with multistranded autogenous semitendinosus tendon. Am J Sports Med 24:504–509PubMed

Wallace MP, Howell SM, Hull ML (1997) In vivo tensile behavior of a four-bundle hamstring graft as a replacement for the anterior cruciate ligament. J Orthop Res 15:539–545PubMedCrossRef

Brown CH Jr, Steiner ME, Carson EW (1993) The use of hamstring tendons for anterior cruciate ligament reconstruction: technique and results. Clin Sports Med 12:723–756PubMed

Fu HF, Bennett HC, Ma CB, Menetrey J, Lattermann C (2000) Current trends in anterior cruciate ligament reconstruction. Part II: operative procedures and clinical correlations. Am J Sports Med 28(1):124–130PubMed

10.

Cross MJ, Roger G, Kujawa P, Anderson IF (1992) Regeneration of the semitendinosus and gracilis tendons following their transaction for repair of the anterior cruciate ligament. Am J Sports Med 20:221–223PubMed

11.

Simonian PT, Harrison SD, Cooley VJ, Escabedo EM, Den DA, Larson RV (1997) Assessment of morbidity of semitendinosus and gracilis tendon harvest for ACL reconstruction. Am J Knee Surg Spring 10(2):54–59

12.

Eriksson K, Larsson H, Wredmark T, Hamberg P (1999) Semitendinosus tendon regeneration after harvesting for ACL reconstruction. A prospective MRI study. Knee Surg Sports Traumatol Arthrosc 7:220–225CrossRef

13.

Papandrea P, Vulpiani MC, Ferretti A, Conteduca F (2000) Regeneration of the semitendinosus tendon harvested for anterior cruciate ligament reconstruction: evaluation using ultrasonography. Am J Sports Med 28:556–561PubMed

14.

Eriksson K, Kindblom LG, Hamberg P, Larsson H, Wredmark T (2001) The semitendinosus tendon regenerates after resection: a morphologic and MRI analysis in 6 patients after resection for anterior cruciate ligament reconstruction. Acta Orthop Scand 72:379–384PubMedCrossRef

15.

Rispoli DM, Sanders TG, Miller MD, Morrison WB (2001) Magnetic resonance imaging at different time periods following hamstring harvest for anterior cruciate ligament reconstruction. Arthroscopy 17(1):2–8PubMedCrossRef

16.

Ferretti A, Conteduca F, Morelli F, Masi V (2002) Regeneration of the semitendinosus tendon after its use in anterior cruciate ligament reconstruction: a histologic study of three cases. Am J Sports Med 30:204–207PubMed

17.

Mass DP, Tuel RJ, Labarbera M, Greenwald DP (1993) Effects of constant mechanical tension on the healing of rabbit flexor tendons. Clin Orthop Relat Res (296):301–306

18.

Seyfer AE, Bolger WE (1989) Effects of unrestricted motion on healing: a study of posttraumatic adhesions in primate tendons. Plast Reconstr Surg 83(1):122–128PubMedCrossRef

19.

Tanaka H, Manske PR, Pruitt DL, Larson BJ (1995) Effect of cyclic tension on lacerated flexor tendons in vitro. J Hand Surg [Am] 20(3):467–473CrossRef

20.

Hioki S, Fukubayashi T, Ikeda K, Niitsu M, Ochiai N (2003) Effect of harvesting the hamstring tendon for anterior cruciate ligament reconstruction on the morphology and movement of the hamstring muscle: a novel MRI technique. Knee Surg Sports Traumatol Arthrosc 11:223–227PubMedCrossRef

21.

Leis HT, Sanders TG, Larsen KM, Lancaster-Weiss KJ, Miller MD (2003) Hamstring regrowth following harvesting for ACL reconstruction: the lizard tail phenomenon. J Knee Surg 16(3):159–164PubMed

22.

Gill SS, Turner MA, Battaglia TC, Leis HT, Balian G, Miller MD (2004) Biochemical, ultrastructural, and physiological characterization of the regenerate tendon. Am J Sports Med 32:1173–1181PubMedCrossRef

23.

Tadokoro K, Matsui N, Yagi M, Kuroda R, Kurosaka M, Yoshiya S (2004) Evaluation of hamstring strength and tendon regrowth after harvesting for anterior cruciate ligament reconstruction. Am J Sports Med 32:1644–1649PubMedCrossRef

24.

Nakamae A, Deie M, Yasumoto M, Adachi N, Kobayashi K, Yasunaga Y, Ochi M (2005) Three-dimensional computed tomography imaging evidence of regeneration of the semitendinosus tendon harvested for anterior cruciate ligament reconstruction: a comparison with hamstring muscle strength. J Comput Assist Tomogr 29(2):241–245PubMedCrossRef

25.

Turhan AU, Kerimoglu S, Dogru A, Aydin H, Yulug E (2004) Tendon regeneration: an anatomical and histological study in sheep. Knee Surg Sports Traumatol Arthrosc 12(5):406–410. Epub 2004 May 26

26.

Jarvinen TL, Jarvinen TA, Penttila T, Harilainen A, Sandelin J, Paakkala T (2003) Failed regrowth of the harvested semitendinosus tendon: a rare complication of tendon harvest after anterior cruciate ligament reconstruction. Arthroscopy 19(4):E31PubMedCrossRef

27.

Yoshiya S, Matsui N, Matsumoto A, Kuroda R, Lee S, Kurosaka M (2004) Revision anterior cruciate ligament reconstruction using the regenerated semitendinosus tendon: analysis of ultrastructure of the regenerated tendon. Arthroscopy 20(5):532–535PubMedCrossRef

28.

Irie K, Tomatsu T (2002) Level of the semitedinosus and gracilis muscle stumps following tendon harvesting: a cadaveric study. Arch Orthop Trauma Surg 122(8):459–461PubMed

29.

Carter TR, Edinger S (1999) Isokinetic evaluation of anterior cruciate ligament reconstruction: Hamstring versus patellar tendon. Arthroscopy 15:169–172PubMedCrossRef

30.

Kramer J, Nusca D, Fowler P et al (1993) Knee flexor and extensor strength during concentric and eccentric muscle actions after anterior cruciate ligament reconstruction using the semitendinosus tendon and ligament augmentation device. Am J Sports Med 21:285–291PubMed

31.

Lipscomb AB, Johnston RK, Snyder RB et al (1982) Evaluation of hamstring strength following use of semitendinosus and gracilis tendons to reconstruct the anterior cruciate ligament. Am J Sports Med 10:340–342PubMed

32.

Maeda A, Shino K, Horibe S et al (1996) Anterior cruciate ligament reconstruction with multistranded autogenous semitendinosus tendon. Am J Sports Med 24:504–508PubMed

33.

Yasuda K, Tsujino J, Ohkoshi Y, Tanabe Y, Kaneda K (1995) Graft site morbidity with autogenous semitendinosus and gracilis tendons. Am J Sports Med 23:706–714PubMed

34.

Adachi N, Ochi M, Uchio Y et al (2003) Harvesting hamstring tendons for ACL reconstruction influences postoperative hamstring muscle performance. Arch Orthop Trauma Surg 123:460–465PubMedCrossRef

35.

Irie K, Tomatsu T (2002) Atrophy of semitendinosus and gracilis and flexor mechanism function after hamstring tendon harvest for anterior cruciate ligament reconstruction. Orthopedics 25:491–495PubMed

36.

Eriksson K, Hamberg P, Jansson E, Larsson H, Shalabi A, Wredmark T (2001) Semitendinosus muscle in anterior cruciate ligament surgery: morphology and function. Arthroscopy 17:808–817PubMedCrossRef

37.

Aune AK, Holm I, Risberg MA et al (2001) Four-strand hamstring tendon autograft compared with patellar tendon–bone autograft for anterior cruciate ligament reconstruction. A randomized study with two-year follow-up. Am J Sports Med 29:722–728PubMed

38.

Nakamura N, Horibe S, Sasaki S et al (2002) Evaluation of active knee flexion and hamstring strength after anterior cruciate ligament reconstruction using hamstring tendons. Arthroscopy 18:598–602PubMedCrossRef

39.

Ohkoshi Y, Inoue C, Yamane S, Hashimoto T, Ishida R (1998) Changes in muscle strength properties caused by harvesting of autogenous semitendinosus tendon for reconstruction of contralateral anterior cruciate ligament. Arthroscopy 14:580–584PubMedCrossRef

40.

Tashiro T, Kurosawa H, Kawakami A, Hikita A, Fukui N (2003) Influence of medial hamstring tendon harvest on knee flexor strength after anterior cruciate ligament reconstruction: a detailed evaluation with comparison of single- and double-tendon harvest. Am J Sports Med 31:522–529PubMed

41.

Nakamura N, Horibe S, Sasaki S, Kitaguchi T, Tagami M, Mitsuoka T, Toritsuka Y, Hamada M, Shino K (2002) Evaluation of active knee flexion and hamstring strength after anterior cruciate ligament reconstruction using hamstring tendons. Arthroscopy 18(6):598–602PubMedCrossRef

42.

Tashiro T, Kurosawa H, Kawakami A, Hikita A, Fukui N (2003) Influence of medial hamstring tendon harvest on knee flexor strength after anterior cruciate ligament reconstruction. A detailed evaluation with comparison of single- and double-tendon harvest. Am J Sports Med 31(4):522–529PubMed

43.

Osternig LR, Bates BT, James SL (1980) Patterns of tibial rotary torque in knees of healthy subjects. Med Sci Sports Exerc 12:195–199PubMed

44.

Shoemaker SC, Markolf KL (1982) In vivo rotary knee stability: ligamentous and muscular contributions. J Bone Joint Surg Am 64:208–216PubMed

45.

Viola RW, Sterett WI, Newfield D, Steadman JR, Torry MR (2000) Internal and external tibial rotation strength after anterior cruciate ligament reconstruction using ipsilateral semitendinosus and gracilis tendon autografts. Am J Sports Med 28:552–555PubMed

46.

Segawa H, Omori G, Koga Y, Kameo T, Iida S, Tanaka M (2002) Rotational muscle strength of the limb after anterior cruciate ligament reconstruction using semitendinosus and gracilis tendon. Arthroscopy 18:177–182PubMedCrossRef

47.

Armour T, Forwell L, Litchfield R, Kirkley A, Amendola N, Fowler PJ (2004) Isokinetic evaluation of internal/external tibial rotation strength after the use of hamstring tendons for anterior cruciate ligament reconstruction. Am J Sports Med 32:1639–1643PubMedCrossRef

Title: Hamstring tendons regeneration after ACL reconstruction: an overview
Authors: Vassilios S. Nikolaou
Nicolas Efstathopoulos
Torsten Wredmark
Publication date: 01-02-2007
Publisher: Springer-Verlag
Published in: Knee Surgery, Sports Traumatology, Arthroscopy / Issue 2/2007
Print ISSN: 0942-2056
Electronic ISSN: 1433-7347
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00167-006-0160-4

At a glance: The STEP trials

Springer Medicine

Hamstring tendons regeneration after ACL reconstruction: an overview

Abstract

At a glance: The STEP trials

Springer Medicine

Abstract

Please log in to get access to this content

Other articles of this Issue 2/2007

The Mid-Ship knot: a new simple and secure sliding knot

Mid-term clinical results of medial meniscus repair with the meniscus arrow in the unstable knee

Effects of menstrual-cycle hormone fluctuations on musculotendinous stiffness and knee joint laxity

Cyclops syndrome occurring after chronic partial rupture of the anterior cruciate ligament without surgical reconstruction

Hamstring tendons or patellar tendon as graft for ACL reconstruction?

Tibial slope and high tibial osteotomy using the circular external fixator