title: Patient-Reported Outcomes After Multiligament Knee Injury: MCL Repair Versus Reconstruction.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Management of the medial collateral ligament (MCL) in the setting of a multiligamentous knee injury (MLKI) represents an area of great controversy.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  Our study was designed to compare long-term patient-reported outcomes (PROs) after MCL repair versus reconstruction in the setting of a multiligamentous injury of the knee.
  
  
  METHODS
  Cohort study; Level of evidence, 3.
  
  
  METHODS
  At a single institution, 68 patients were identified over a 10-year period as having MCL intervention in the setting of MLKI. Of these patients, 34 (50%) were successfully contacted via telephone to collect Lysholm and International Knee Documentation Committee (IKDC) scores. A retrospective chart review of these subjects was also conducted to identify patient and surgical factors affecting PROs.
  
  
  RESULTS
  At a mean 6-year follow-up (range, 2-11 years), the mean Lysholm score was 77.4 ± 23.1 and mean IKDC score was 72.6 ± 23.6. Univariate analyses identified time to surgery (P= .005) and MCL reconstruction (P= .001) as risk factors for Lysholm score ≤75. Univariate analyses identified patient age (P= .049), time to surgery (P= .018), and MCL reconstruction (P= .004) as risk factors for IKDC score ≤75. On subsequent multivariate analysis, MCL reconstruction was found to be a predictor of Lysholm or IKDC score of ≤75.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Patients undergoing MCL repair in the setting of MLKI generally had higher PROs than those undergoing reconstructions at a mean 6 years of follow-up. Further work is needed to elucidate patient and surgical factors that may influence subjective outcomes after multiligament knee injuries.
authors.affiliation: Department of Orthopaedic Surgery, University of Iowa, Iowa City, Iowa, USA.
authors.forename: Jessica M
authors.initials: JM
authors.lastname: Hanley
authors.affiliation: Department of Orthopaedic Surgery, University of Iowa, Iowa City, Iowa, USA.
authors.forename: Christopher A
authors.initials: CA
authors.lastname: Anthony
authors.affiliation: University of Iowa Carver College of Medicine, Iowa City, Iowa, USA.
authors.forename: David
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: DeMik
authors.affiliation: Department of Orthopaedic Surgery, University of Iowa, Iowa City, Iowa, USA.
authors.forename: Natalie
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Glass
authors.affiliation: Department of Orthopaedic Surgery, Duke University Durham, North Carolina, USA.
authors.forename: Annunziato
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Amendola
authors.affiliation: Department of Orthopaedic Surgery, University of Iowa, Iowa City, Iowa, USA.
authors.forename: Brian R
authors.initials: BR
authors.lastname: Wolf
authors.affiliation: Department of Orthopaedic Surgery, University of Iowa, Iowa City, Iowa, USA.
authors.forename: Matthew
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Bollier
keywords: knee; medial collateral ligament; multiligament; outcomes; reconstruction; repair