High-stiffness distal fixation restores anterior laxity and stiffness as well as joint line fixation with an interference screw.
BACKGROUND
Fixation of an anterior cruciate ligament graft at the joint line with an interference screw restores anterior laxity better than low-stiffness distal fixation with double staples and sutures tied to a post at implantation in porcine bone.


OBJECTIVE
Fixation of an anterior cruciate ligament graft with a high-stiffness distal fixation device restores anterior laxity and knee stiffness as well as joint line fixation with an interference screw in human bone.


METHODS
Controlled laboratory study.


METHODS
Eleven cadaveric knees with foam reinforcement of the bone were reconstructed with a double-looped tendon graft and fixed with an interference screw and 3 high-stiffness methods of fixation (tandem washer, WasherLoc, and WasherLoc with bone dowel). Anterior laxity at 225 and 110 N of anterior load and knee stiffness were measured at 0 degrees , 30 degrees , 60 degrees , 90 degrees , and 120 degrees of flexion with a 6 degrees of freedom load application system.


RESULTS
The increase in anterior laxity and knee stiffness with the interference screw was not significantly different from that with the high-stiffness distal methods.


CONCLUSIONS
In the human knee, the use of high-stiffness fixation devices placed distal to the joint line restored anterior laxity and knee stiffness as well as joint line fixation with an interference screw at implantation.


CONCLUSIONS
The stiffness provided by each method of fixation should be considered along with the length of the graft when determining anterior laxity and knee stiffness.
Liu-Barba
David
D
Department of Mechanical Engineering, University of California at Davis, Davis, California, USA.
Howell
Stephen M
SM
Hull
Maury L
ML
D000368:Aged; D016118:Anterior Cruciate Ligament / Q000601:surgery*; D001178:Arthroplasty / Q000295:instrumentation* / Q000379:methods; D001696:Biomechanical Phenomena; D001863:Bone Screws; D006801:Humans; D007719:Knee Joint / Q000502:physiology / Q000601:surgery*; D008875:Middle Aged; D009984:Orthopedic Fixation Devices