Anterior Cruciate Ligament Reconstruction With Iliotibial Band Autograft in Skeletally Immature Prepubescent Children: A Physeal-Sparing Technique

Abstract

Background: As there has been an increasing incidence of anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) tears in children and adolescents in the past few decades, nonoperative management is seen to result in less favorable clinical outcomes, resulting in meniscal and cartilage damage, and arthritic changes. Despite the risk of iatrogenic physeal injuries with operative approach, several reconstruction options, such as physeal-sparing techniques for skeletally immature patients, are described to restore joint stability. Indications: We bring a combined extra-articular and intra-articular ACL reconstruction technique using autogenous iliotibial band (ITB), which is indicated for prepubescent patients (Tanner stages 1 or 2) with open physes, significant growth potential (≤11 years for girls and ≤12 years for boys) and smaller knees, where an all-epiphyseal ACL reconstruction would lack epiphyseal space Technique Description: The technique consists of a modified MacIntosh intra-articular and extra-articular ITB reconstruction, described by Micheli and further characterized by Kocher. The central portion of the ITB is harvested proximally (at least 15 cm) and left attached to Gerdy's tubercle distally. The harvested graft is brought from over-the-top posteriorly and passed under the intermeniscal ligament anteriorly through an epiphyseal groove on the tibia. Results: The outcomes shown for the Kocher ITB ACL reconstruction technique are favorable at a mean follow-up of 5.3 years: from 44 patients, 41 returned to sports involving cutting or pivoting, and the revision rate was low at 4.5%. Discussion/Conclusion: The awareness of physeal injury related to the operative treatment of ACL tears in the pediatric population has resulted in several physeal-sparing and physeal-respecting techniques of reconstruction. Some of these have shown to reduce the risk of physeal damage, maintaining stability and providing excellent functional outcomes, with low revision rates in long-term follow-up and minimal risk of growth disturbance. Patient Consent Disclosure Statement: The author(s) attests that consent has been obtained from any patient(s) appearing in this publication. If the individual may be identifiable, the author(s) has included a statement of release or other written form of approval from the patient(s) with this submission for publication.