Anterior Cruciate Ligament Stump Elongation Technique for Anterior Cruciate Ligament Restoration

Abstract

There is renewed interest in anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) preservation techniques. Prior studies have shown good outcomes and low failure rates with ACL preservation in patients with good tissue quality and more proximal tears. We describe a technique intended to assist surgeons in obtaining maximal length of the ACL stump during ACL preservation surgery. We find this to be effective in reapproximating the ACL remnant to its origin on the femoral wall in many cases, even those with a relatively short-appearing stump on preoperative imaging. This technique may allow for surgeons to feel more comfortable offering ACL repair or restoration to patients with a smaller distal ACL remnant.