Comparison of Clinical Outcomes between Different Femoral Tunnel Positions after Anterior Cruciate Ligament Reconstruction Surgery.

Background It has been shown that the proper placement of ACL graft during the ACL reconstruction surgery significantly improves the clinical outcomes. This study investigated whether a change in the femoral tunnel position in both axial and coronal planes can significantly alter the postoperative functional and clinical outcomes of the patients. Methods This comparative, retrospective, single-center study was performed on 44 patients undergone single-bundle anterior cruciate ligament reconstruction (ACLR). Radiographic assessments were done to evaluate the tunnel position in coronal and axial planes. Patients were classified into 4 groups based on radiographic data. The time interval between surgery and last visit averaged 23.6 ± 2.2 months (18-30 mos.). Lysholm knee score and Cincinnati score were completed for all of the patients. Furthermore, the Lachman, anterior drawer and pivot-shift tests were performed. Results Of the 44 patients included in the study, 9 patients (20.4%) were classified as the low-anterior group, 17(38.6%) were classified as the low-posterior group and 18(40.9%) were classified as the high-posterior group. None of the patients were included in high-anterior group. A greater mean Lysholm score (96±3) in low-posterior group was the only significant difference between the three groups (P<0.001). Conclusion Findings of the current study demonstrated that low-posterior placement of the ACL graft through the intercondylar notch, based on both antero-posterior (AP) and tunnel-view x-rays, is associated with better clinical outcomes in short-term compared to the routine tunnel placements.