title: Single-Achilles allograft posterior cruciate ligament and medial collateral ligament reconstruction: a technique to avoid osseous tunnel intersection, improve construct stiffness, and save on allograft utilization.
abstract: We present a method for single-Achilles allograft medial collateral ligament (MCL) and posterior cruciate ligament (PCL) reconstruction that eliminates the risk of tunnel intersection, stiffens the construct, and maximizes utilization of allograft tissue. An Achilles tendon allograft is prepared with an 11- to 12-mm bone plug with a gradual taper to 7 mm over approximately 15 cm. A transtibial PCL tunnel is created under fluoroscopic and arthroscopic guidance. The femoral tunnel is prepared in an "outside-in" fashion under direct arthroscopic visualization, originating at the anatomic origin of the MCL on the medial epicondyle and entering the joint at the anatomic origin of the anterolateral bundle of the PCL. The Achilles graft is pulled into the joint through the tibial tunnel and routed into the femoral tunnel so that the soft tissue exits at the medial epicondyle. The bone plug is fluoroscopically guided to the posterior aperture of the tibial tunnel and fixed with a bioabsorbable interference screw. The pretensioned graft is fixed in the femoral tunnel via interference screw fixation with the knee in 90 degrees of flexion. The isometric position of the MCL insertion is identified with a K-wire isometer, and the graft is fixed in place at this point by use of an interference screw or screw and washer.
authors: Department of Orthopaedics and Sports Medicine, University of Washington, Seattle, Washington 98195-4060, USA. wahlc@u.washington.edu
authors: Christopher J
authors: CJ
authors: Wahl
authors: Gregg
authors: G
authors: Nicandri
mesh_terms: D000125:Achilles Tendon / Q000637:transplantation*; D001863:Bone Screws; D005260:Female; D006084:Graft Rejection; D006085:Graft Survival; D006801:Humans; D007593:Joint Instability / Q000517:prevention & control; D007719:Knee Joint / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000601:surgery*; D008297:Male; D017888:Medial Collateral Ligament, Knee / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000601:surgery*; D016119:Posterior Cruciate Ligament / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000601:surgery*; D011859:Radiography; D016059:Range of Motion, Articular / Q000502:physiology*; D019651:Plastic Surgery Procedures / Q000295:instrumentation / Q000379:methods*; D012680:Sensitivity and Specificity; D013314:Stress, Mechanical; D013673:Technology Assessment, Biomedical; D013718:Tensile Strength; D020858:Tissue and Organ Harvesting; D014184:Transplantation, Homologous