title: The interaction between the whipstitch sutures of multi-strand ACL grafts and interference screw fixation.
abstract: In a recent experiment examining the effect of interference screw sizing on the fixation stability of multi-strand anterior cruciate ligament grafts, we noticed a large variation in fixation strengths and attributed it to the suturing of the grafts and its interaction with the screw. We performed an experiment using interference screws for fixation of hamstring grafts within a bone tunnel model to compare how the presence of sutures affected graft fixation. We found that having sutures along the region of the graft that contacts the screw within the bone tunnel can increase graft fixation strength 100%.
authors.affiliation: NYU Hospital for Joint Diseases Department of Orthopaedic Surgery, 301 East 17th Street, New York, New York 10003, USA.
authors.forename: Jonathan
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Bravman
authors.forename: Charbel
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Ishak
authors.forename: Jonathan
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Gelber
authors.forename: Suk
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Namkoong
authors.forename: Laith M
authors.initials: LM
authors.lastname: Jazrawi
authors.forename: Frederick J
authors.initials: FJ
authors.lastname: Kummer
mesh_terms: D016118:Anterior Cruciate Ligament / Q000601:surgery*; D001696:Biomechanical Phenomena; D001863:Bone Screws; D050376:Bone-Patellar Tendon-Bone Grafting / Q000295:instrumentation* / Q000379:methods; D004868:Equipment Failure; D006801:Humans; D008422:Materials Testing; D013536:Suture Techniques; D013709:Tendon Transfer / Q000379:methods*