High failure rate for electrothermal shrinkage of the lax anterior cruciate ligament: a multicenter follow-up past 2 years.
OBJECTIVE
The purpose of this study was to prospectively evaluate the midterm results (beyond 2 years) of thermal shrinkage on both lax native anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) and lax reconstructions and determine the effectiveness of this procedure.


METHODS
This is a multicenter study in which 64 patients from 2 sites underwent electrothermal shrinkage for a lax ACL, both native and previous reconstructions. They were followed up past 2 years with KT-1000 measurements (MEDmetric, San Diego, CA). Failure criteria included subsequent operations for instability or KT-1000 measurements greater than 5 mm. Three patients were lost to follow-up.


RESULTS
Among the 61 patients followed up past 2 years, failure occurred in 31 (50.8%). The failure rate for lax grafts alone was 78.9%, and there was a failure rate of 38.1% for lax native ligaments.


CONCLUSIONS
Electrothermal shrinkage of lax native or reconstructed ACLs is not an appropriate treatment.
Royal Inland Hospital, Kamloops, British Columbia, Canada.
Derek B
DB
Smith
Thomas R
TR
Carter
Donald H
DH
Johnson
D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D016118:Anterior Cruciate Ligament / Q000601:surgery*; D000070598:Anterior Cruciate Ligament Injuries; D004599:Electric Stimulation Therapy; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006358:Hot Temperature / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D006801:Humans; D007719:Knee Joint / Q000503:physiopathology; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D011446:Prospective Studies; D016059:Range of Motion, Articular; D019651:Plastic Surgery Procedures / Q000534:rehabilitation*; D013710:Tendons / Q000637:transplantation; D017211:Treatment Failure; D014950:Wounds, Penetrating / Q000628:therapy*