ABSTRACT
Objective To investigate the impact of not using drainage on clinical outcomes after arthroscopic autologous semitendinosus tendon reconstruction with anterior cruciate ligament reconstruction.Methods From March 2022 to June 2023,59 patients undergoing arthroscopic autologous semitendinosus tendon reconstruction with anterior cruciate ligament reconstruction in Lincang People's Hospital were collected and randomly divided into the non-drainage group consisting of 29 cases(observation group)and the 24-hour drainage group consisting of 30 cases(control group).The pain levels of the two groups of patients were recorded on the 1st,3rd,7th,14th,and 30th day after the surgery by using a visual analog scale.Additionally,the knee joint range of motion,length of hospital stay,and occurrence of postoperative complications were monitored.The circumference of the thigh was measured before and after the surgery,and the difference was calculated.Results Repeated measures analysis of variance revealed that there were statistically significant within-subject differences in pain ratings,thigh circumference,and knee joint range of motion(P<0.05),but no statistically significant between-subject differences(P>0.05).Independent samples t-tests showed that on the first day after the surgery,the observation group had lower pain ratings(P<0.001),and higher thigh circumference and knee joint range of motion compared to the control group(P<0.05).There were no statistically significant differences in pain ratings,knee joint range of motion,and thigh circumference between the two groups at the remaining follow-up times(P>0.05);The observation group had a shorter hospital stay than the control group(P<0.001);Both groups of patients had no complications such as lower limb nerve damage,deep vein thrombosis,knee joint infection,or hematomas requiring puncture and aspiration.Conclusion In the early postoperative period following arthroscopic autologous hamstring tendon reconstruction of the anterior cruciate ligament,the omission of drainage does not affect the clinical outcomes in terms of pain,knee joint mobility,and thigh circumference.Moreover,omitting drainage reduces the level of pain experienced by patients on the first day after the surgery,improves the knee joint mobility,and decreases the length of hospital stay.Therefore,in arthroscopic autologous hamstring tendon reconstruction of the anterior cruciate ligament,it is not recommended to routinely use drainage for preventive purposes.