Fifteen-Year Outcome of Endoscopic Anterior Cruciate Ligament Reconstruction With Patellar Tendon Autograft for “Isolated” Anterior Cruciate Ligament Tear

Background: Few studies report the long-term results of anterior cruciate ligament rupture and single-incision endoscopic reconstructive surgery. Outcomes are often clouded by concomitant meniscal, chondral, or ligament injuries. Purpose: To determine the 15-year outcomes of anterior cruciate ligament ruptures treated with endoscopic anterior cruciate ligament reconstruction using middle-third patellar tendon autograft. Study Design: Case series; Level of evidence, 4. Methods: Between January 1993 and April 1994, 333 consecutive patients underwent anterior cruciate ligament reconstruction. Patients with associated ligamentous injury requiring surgery, previous meniscectomy, or meniscal injury requiring more than one-third meniscectomy; chondral injury diagnosed at arthroscopy; and an abnormal contralateral knee were excluded. Ninety patients met the inclusion criteria. Outcomes included range of motion, Lachman and pivot-shift tests, instrumented ligament testing, single-legged hop test, Lysholm Knee Score, the International Knee Documentation Committee evaluation, and radiographic assessment. Results: Thirty percent of patients had further anterior cruciate ligament injury. Twenty-four percent of patients (n = 22) sustained contralateral anterior cruciate ligament ruptures, and 8% (n = 7) ruptured the graft (P = .009). Graft rupture was associated with a graft inclination angle