ABSTRACT
Anterior cruciate ligament [ACL] reconstruction is a common procedure performed by many surgeons, different grafts have been used but the bone- patellar tendon graft has considered the gold standard for many years. The graft can be inserted either arthroscopically assisted with femoral half tunnel created from the joint, thus avoiding the lateral incision or making two tunnels through a mini-arthrotomy and a lateral femoral incision. A great controversy have been claimed for the advantage and the disadvantage of the two procedure as regards early rehabilitation period and stability. A fourty male patients with ACL deficiency were included in a prospective randomized trial comparing the two procedure with a follow up period of one year. The data obtained preoperatively did not show any significant differences between the two groups. At early follow up there was a differences observed with respect to complications and the progress of rehabilitaion. Evaluation at 12 months postoperatively using Lysholm scoring system revealed good to excellent results in 80% of patients in the first group and 70% in the second one. ACL reconstruction reduced anterior tibial translation of the knee significantly at 6 months follow up with a slight increase of degrees of instability at 12 months in both groups. The arthoroscopic single incision technique did show better results as regards early postoperative pain, swelling, range-of motion or any rehabilitational parameters. We conclude that an arthroscopic single incision technique for ACL reconstruction has an advantage over open mini-arthrotomy two incision technique as regards subjective more than objective parameters