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Dynamic intraligamentary stabilization of anterior cruciate ligament repair: hardware removal has no effect on knee laxity at 2-year follow-up

  • Trauma Surgery
  • Published:
Archives of Orthopaedic and Trauma Surgery Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

Introduction

Dynamic intraligamentary stabilization (DIS) stabilizes the knee joint during anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) healing. After 6 months, tibial hardware removal is offered to the patients if local discomfort at the implant site is present.

Aim

This study compared knee laxity and functional scores 2 years after DIS between patients with and without hardware removal. It is hypothesized that it does not affect ACL healing.

Materials and methods

The study retrospectively analyzed prospectively collected data from 173 patients with either hardware removal (n = 47) or no additional intervention (n = 126). Inverse probability of treatment weighting using the propensity score was applied to balance the groups for baseline characteristics. The primary outcome was the side-to-side difference in knee laxity measured with the rolimeter at manual maximum force (Δ-Lachman). Secondary outcomes were the pivot-shift test and subjective scores.

Results

Mean age was 34 years in both groups, and female gender was 47% (hardware removal group) and 50% (control group), respectively. No significant differences were found for Δ-Lachman (p = 0.09), pivot-shift test (p = 0.41), and subjective scores (p > 0.10) two years after DIS.

Conclusion

Knee laxity 2 years after DIS in patients with tibial hardware removal and patients without hardware removal was not significantly different. The groups were also similar regarding all the assessed functional scores. This study confirms the hypothesis that the healing ACL resumes its stabilizing role, and the hardware can be removed beginning 6 months after surgery without adverse consequences for joint stability.

Level of evidence

Case–control study, Level III.

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Acknowledgements

The authors would like to thank Edith Hofer for her great work in coordinating, supervising, and completing the collection of the comprehensive data set for each patient. They would also like to thank Christopher Ritter for editorial assistance.

Funding

No funding was received for this study.

Author information

Author notes

  1. Janosch Häberli and Kathrin Susan Bieri have equally contributed to this study.

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Sonnenhof Orthopaedic Center, Buchserstrasse 30, 3006, Bern, Switzerland

    Janosch Häberli, Stefan Eggli & Philipp Henle

  2. Swiss RDL, Institute of Social and Preventive Medicine, University of Bern, Mittelstrasse 43, 3012, Bern, Switzerland

    Kathrin Susan Bieri & Emin Aghayev

  3. Spine Center, Schulthess Klinik, Lennghalde 2, 8008, Zurich, Switzerland

    Emin Aghayev

Authors
  1. Janosch Häberli
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  2. Kathrin Susan Bieri
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  3. Emin Aghayev
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  4. Stefan Eggli
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  5. Philipp Henle
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Corresponding author

Correspondence to Kathrin Susan Bieri.

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Conflict of interest

All authors have received reimbursements or funding from Mathys AG Bettlach, Switzerland, in the past 5 years. The authors are not compensated for this work.

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Häberli, J., Bieri, K.S., Aghayev, E. et al. Dynamic intraligamentary stabilization of anterior cruciate ligament repair: hardware removal has no effect on knee laxity at 2-year follow-up. Arch Orthop Trauma Surg 139, 639–644 (2019). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00402-019-03113-x

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00402-019-03113-x

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