Difference of Graft Maturity of Anterior Cruciate Ligament Reconstruction between Oval-Shaped Tunnel Technique and Round-Shaped Tunnel Technique / 中国运动医学杂志

ABSTRACT

Objective To compare the graft maturity of the anterior cruciate ligament reconstruction using the oval-shaped tunnel technique and round-shaped tunnel technique by signal/noise quotient (SNQ) of MRI postoperatively.Methods Forty patients diagnosed as the anterior cruciate ligament rupture between August 2015 and June 2016 were included according to the inclusion and exclusion criteria.Patients were randomized into a round-shaped group and an oval-shaped group,undergoing traditional round-shaped tunnel and oval-shaped tunnel reconstruction of the anterior cruciate ligament respectively.One year postoperatively,the MRI was conducted,and three intra-articular regions of interest (ROI) were selected to compare the graft maturity by calculating SNQ.Results None of the forty patients experienced complications of bone tunnel blowout,graft getting through difficulties and neurological or vascular injuries.SNQ of the round-shaped group were 3.72 ± 2.29,significantly higher than that of the oval-shaped group(P＜0.001).Moreover,SNQ of proximal ROI and distal ROI of ovalshaped group were 1.97 ± 1.30 and 2.76 ± 1.75,significantly lower than the round-shaped group with proximal site of 3.53 ± 2.11(P=0.008) and distal site of 4.46 ± 2.28(P=0.012).Conclusion Comparing MRI signal intensity one year after the treatment,we have found the graft SNQ after oval-shaped tunnel reconstruction was lower than the round-shaped reconstruction,with better graft maturity.