Good results five years after surgical management of anterior cruciate ligament tears, and meniscal and cartilage injuries

In athletes with anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) tears combined with meniscal and cartilage injuries, the goals are to restore knee laxity and relieve symptoms, while long-term goals are the return to pre-injury sport activity and to prevent onset of degenerative changes. We compared the post-operative (minimum 5 years) clinical and radiological outcomes of 50 patients, similar for ACL rupture and meniscal tears, but different for the grade of cartilage lesion. The patient population was divided into two groups similar for ACL reconstruction and surgical meniscal management. Group 1 included 25 patients undergoing microfracture management of grade III–IV cartilage lesions, while Group 2 included 25 patients with grade I–II cartilage lesions, managed by radiofrequency. Comparing pre- and post-operative status, Lachman test, pivot shift values and KT 1000 side to side difference measurements improved significantly (0.05) at the intermediate and latest assessments. At both post-operative appointments, in both groups, the average Lysholm score and IKDC ranking rates improved significantly (