Graft Site Morbidity in Elbow Ligament Reconstruction Procedures: A Systematic Review.
BACKGROUND
It is unclear which tendon harvest for ulnar or lateral collateral ligament reconstruction has the lowest graft site morbidity rate.


OBJECTIVE
To obtain graft site morbidity rates after tendon harvest for ulnar and lateral collateral ligament reconstruction procedures.


METHODS
Systematic review/Meta-analysis.


METHODS
Studies were eligible if (1) patients had undergone elbow ligament reconstruction procedures; (2) original data for at least 5 patients were available; (3) the article was written in English, German, or Dutch; (4) a full-text article was available; and (5) information about graft site morbidity was available. The review excluded studies about complicated elbow ligament reconstruction procedures due to initial fractures, revision procedures, or circumferential graft techniques; animal studies; (systematic) reviews; and expert opinions. Because the majority of studies were case reports, no selection form or overall scoring system to evaluate methodological quality was used.


RESULTS
The review included 619 patients with an ulnar or lateral collateral ligament reconstruction procedure. The autograft types used included palmaris longus tendon (58%), gracilis tendon (24%), semitendinosus tendon (8%), triceps tendon (7%), toe extensor tendon (<2%), plantaris tendon (<2%), extensor carpi radialis longus tendon (<1%), and Achilles tendon (<1%).


CONCLUSIONS
Graft site morbidity occurred in 1% of the patients after an ulnar or lateral collateral ligament reconstruction procedure. This study did not have enough samples of all the autograft types to conclude that autograft type and graft site morbidity are unrelated.
Orthotrauma Research Center Amsterdam, Academic Medical Center, Amsterdam, the Netherlands.
Noortje C
NC
Hagemeijer
Orthotrauma Research Center Amsterdam, Academic Medical Center, Amsterdam, the Netherlands.
Femke M A P
FMAP
Claessen
Tergooi Ziekenhuis, Hilversum, the Netherlands.
Roel
R
de Haan
Tergooi Ziekenhuis, Hilversum, the Netherlands.
Roeland
R
Riedijk
Academic Medical Center, Amsterdam, the Netherlands.
Denise E
DE
Eygendaal
Onze Lieve Vrouwe Gasthuis, Amsterdam, the Netherlands.
Michel P
MP
van den Bekerom
D017885:Collateral Ligaments / Q000601:surgery; D004551:Elbow Joint / Q000601:surgery*; D000070632:Hamstring Tendons / Q000601:surgery; D006801:Humans; D018482:Muscle, Skeletal / Q000601:surgery; D019651:Plastic Surgery Procedures / Q000379:methods*; D013710:Tendons / Q000637:transplantation*; D014182:Transplantation, Autologous; D014457:Ulna / Q000601:surgery
autograft; elbow; graft site morbidity; reconstruction procedure