Causes analysis and coping strategies of posterior laxity after posterior cruciate ligament reconstruction / 中华骨科杂志

ABSTRACT

It is difficult to maintain the initial posterior stability of the knee after posterior cruciate ligament reconstruction. Residual posterior knee laxity after operation is a problem of PCL reconstruction. It not only results in abnormal kinematics of the knee, but also leads to secondary meniscus injury and cartilage degeneration of the affected knee, and eventually leads to knee osteoarthritis, which may especially happen with persistent and severe posterior laxity. The main reasons of residual posterior knee laxity after PCL reconstruction are improper treatment of the posterolateral corner injury, poor positioning of the femoral tunnel, small tibial slope, and unreasonable postoperative rehabilitation. There are some concepts and technologies, such as using artificial ligaments, tibial tunnel fixation with suspensory device or suspensory device combined with interference screws, enlargement of graft diameter, all-inside reconstruction combined suture augmentation, slow and gradual postoperative rehabilitation, which can eliminate or reduce the postoperative residual laxity, in order to improve clinical outcomes after PCL reconstruction. For the patients with flat tibial slopes, double-bundle PCL reconstruction and concurrent slope-increasing tibial osteotomy is suggested. It can reduce the risk of posterior laxity and improve the stability of the knee after operation.