Anatomic Arthroscopic Primary Repair of Proximal Anterior Cruciate Ligament Tears

Abstract

Within the last decade, various highly diverse anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) preservation techniques have been proposed, as contemporary selective arthroscopic ACL preservation experienced a resurgence. Among surgical techniques, there are a variety of suturing, fixation, and augmentation methods, whereas a common thread, considering essential anatomic and biomechanical properties, is missing. This technique aims to anatomically reapproximate both the anteromedial (AM) and posterolateral (PL) bundles to their respective femoral footprints. Additionally, a PL compression stitch is performed to increase the ligament-bone contact area and recreate the anatomic vectors of the native bundles, therefore, creating a more anatomic and biomechanical construct. This technique is a minimally invasive procedure, with no graft harvesting nor tunnel drilling, which leads to decreased pain levels, earlier return of full range motion (ROM), and faster rehabilitation, while failure rates seem to be comparable to that of ACL reconstruction. We present an updated surgical technique of anatomic arthroscopic primary repair with suture anchor fixation for patients with proximal ACL tears.