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Knee Surgery, Sports Traumatology, Arthroscopy

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Open Access 01-05-2022 | Osteoarthrosis | KNEE

Concomitant full-thickness cartilage lesions do not affect patient-reported outcomes at minimum 10-year follow-up after ACL reconstruction

Authors: Katherine Wang, Cathrine N. Eftang, Svend Ulstein, Asbjørn Årøen, Rune B. Jakobsen

Published in: Knee Surgery, Sports Traumatology, Arthroscopy | Issue 5/2022

Abstract

Purpose

To compare patients with a concomitant full-thickness cartilage lesion and anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) injury to patients with an isolated ACL injury at 10–15 years post ACL reconstruction.

Methods

This is a longitudinal follow-up of a cohort of 89 patients that were identified in the Norwegian National Knee Ligament Registry and included in the index study in 2007. The study group consisted of 30 patients that underwent ACL reconstruction and had a concomitant, isolated full-thickness cartilage lesion (International Cartilage Repair Society [ICRS] grade 3–4). Each study patient was matched with two control patients who underwent ACL reconstruction but had no cartilage lesions (ICRS grade 1–4) (n = 59). At a median follow-up of 10.2 years (range 9.9–15.6), 65 patients (74%) completed the Knee Injury and Osteoarthritis Outcome Score (KOOS), which was the main outcome measure, resulting in 23 pairs after matching.

Results

At a follow-up of 10–15 years after ACL reconstruction, no significant differences in KOOS were found between patients with a concomitant full-thickness cartilage lesion and patients without cartilage lesions. There was also no significant difference between the two groups when comparing the change over time in KOOS scores from preoperative to follow-up. Both groups showed significant improvement in all KOOS subscales from preoperative to follow-up, except for in the Symptoms subscale for the control group. The greatest improvement was in the QoL subscale for the study group.

Conclusion

ACL-reconstructed patients with a full-thickness cartilage lesion did not report worse outcomes at 10–15 years after surgery compared with patients with an isolated ACL injury. Our findings support that there is no long-term negative effect of a concomitant cartilage lesion in an ACL-reconstructed knee. These findings should be considered when discussing treatment and informing about the expected long-term outcome after ACL reconstruction to patients with such combined injuries.

Level of evidence

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Title: Concomitant full-thickness cartilage lesions do not affect patient-reported outcomes at minimum 10-year follow-up after ACL reconstruction
Authors: Katherine Wang
Cathrine N. Eftang
Svend Ulstein
Asbjørn Årøen
Rune B. Jakobsen
Publication date: 01-05-2022
Publisher: Springer Berlin Heidelberg
Keywords: Osteoarthrosis
Osteoarthrosis
Published in: Knee Surgery, Sports Traumatology, Arthroscopy / Issue 5/2022
Print ISSN: 0942-2056
Electronic ISSN: 1433-7347
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00167-021-06757-8

Keynote webinar | Spotlight on medication adherence

Springer Medicine

Concomitant full-thickness cartilage lesions do not affect patient-reported outcomes at minimum 10-year follow-up after ACL reconstruction

Abstract

Purpose

Methods

Results

Conclusion

Level of evidence

Keynote webinar | Spotlight on medication adherence

Springer Medicine

Abstract

Purpose

Methods

Results

Conclusion

Level of evidence

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