Purpose
The aim of this study was to investigate the functional outcomes, knee stability, and patient's satisfaction after anatomic double-bundle anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) reconstruction using the three-portal technique.
Patients and methods
A prospective case series study on 48 patients (24 were active athletes) with complete tear of the ACL was conducted. All patients underwent anatomic double-bundle ACL reconstruction. Participants were assessed with history taking, clinical examination, International Knee Documentation Committee (IKDC) score, Lysholm scale, and Tegner scale. All assessments were carried out preoperatively and repeated postoperatively every 6 months until a minimum of 2 years. Data were collected and analyzed to detect significant changes.
Results
Improvement was observed in the mean IKDC score from 68.1 to 93.5, in the Lysholm score from 73.8 to 95.5, and in the Tegner scale from 4 to 9.4. All patients showed negative Lachmann and anterior drawer tests at 24 months follow-up; only two (4.2%) patients showed slight glide (one positive), with overall patient satisfaction of 93.8%.
Conclusion
Anatomic double-bundle ACL reconstruction results in significant improvement in the clinical outcomes and knee stability, with 93.8% satisfaction and return to preinjury level of activity.