title: Comparison of two methods of femoral tunnel preparation in single-bundle anterior cruciate ligament reconstruction: a prospective randomized study.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To prospectively compare therapeutic effect of femoral tunnel preparation through the tibial tunnel and the anteromedial (AM) portal in single-bundle anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) reconstruction.
  
  
  METHODS
  Between June 2008 and October 2010, 76 patients underwent single-bundle ACL reconstruction by autogenous grafting of semitendinosus and gracilis tendon. All cases were randomly divided into two groups according to the method of femoral tunnel preparation: transtibial (TT) group (n=38) and anteromedial (AM) group (n=38). Lysholm knee score and the KT-1000 anterior laxity at 30° of pre-and post-operation were assessed for two groups.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Sixty-five patients (TT group, 34; AM group, 31) were followed up for more than 12 months, with a follow-up rate of 86%. The Lysholm knee score and the KT-1000 anterior laxity 12 months after operation were significantly better than before reconstruction. The Lysholm knee score and the KT-1000 anterior laxity were not significantly different between the TT and AM groups after operation.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Femoral tunnel preparation through tibial tunnel or the anteromedial portal in single-bundle anterior cruciate ligament reconstruction shows same therapeutic effects.
authors: Department of Orthopedics, General Hospital of Jinan Military Command, Jinan, China.
authors: Qiang
authors: Q
authors: Zhang
authors: Shu
authors: S
authors: Zhang
authors: Rui
authors: R
authors: Li
authors: Ya
authors: Y
authors: Liu
authors: Xuecheng
authors: X
authors: Cao
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D059549:Anterior Cruciate Ligament Reconstruction / Q000379:methods* / Q000534:rehabilitation; D050376:Bone-Patellar Tendon-Bone Grafting / Q000379:methods*; D005260:Female; D005269:Femur / Q000601:surgery*; D006801:Humans; D007593:Joint Instability / Q000503:physiopathology; D007719:Knee Joint / Q000502:physiology; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D011184:Postoperative Period; D011446:Prospective Studies; D011897:Random Allocation; D013710:Tendons / Q000637:transplantation*; D013977:Tibia / Q000601:surgery*; D016896:Treatment Outcome; D055815:Young Adult