Pitfalls and Risks of Tendon Harvest About the Knee

Abstract

Anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) injuries are becoming increasingly common (Griffin et al. 2006). In the early 2000s, it was estimated 100,000 to 175,000 reconstructions were performed in the United States each year (Gottlob et al. 1999; Lyman et al. 2009). ACL reconstruction involving the use of graft tissue harvested, or taken directly from the patient, is known as an autograft, while graft taken from a cadaver is known as an allograft (Mcguire and Hendricks 2007).Autografts are most frequently made by harvesting the patient’s own patellar tendon or hamstring (HT). Patellar tendon, also known as “bone– patellar tendon–bone” (BTB) grafts, is derived from the middle third of the patellar ligament. Though surgeons may have their own preferences about the best type of graft, studies have demonstrated that both BTB and HT have high rates of success (Mcguire and Hendricks 2007).