Preventing Anterior Knee Pain After Anterior Cruciate Ligament Reconstruction
- 1 January 1997
- journal article
- other
- Published by SAGE Publications in The American Journal of Sports Medicine
- Vol. 25 (1), 41-47
- https://doi.org/10.1177/036354659702500108
Abstract
We studied a group of 602 patients who had anterior cruciate ligament reconstructions between 1987 and 1992. An autogenous patellar tendon graft was used, regardless of preexisting patellofemoral pain or chon dromalacia. The surgeon and rehabilitation protocol were the same for all patients, with emphasis on ob taining full knee hyperextension postoperatively. All patients were evaluated by a questionnaire designed to determine the incidence and severity of anterior knee pain as it relates to sporting or daily living activ ities, prolonged sitting, stair climbing, and kneeling. Range of motion for the study group was recorded during physical examination. We compared the find ings with those from a control group of 122 patients who had no previous knee injury. The study group reported a mean score of 89.5 ± 12.5, compared with 90.2 ± 12.3 in the control group. Both the operative and control groups reported little or no symptoms dur ing sporting activities (94% and 92%, respectively). No differences were noted with respect to the other activ ities surveyed. These results demonstrate that anterior knee pain after anterior cruciate ligament reconstruc tion is not an inherent complication associated with patellar tendon harvesting. We suggest that the in creased incidence of anterior knee pain with an autog enous patellar tendon graft can be prevented by ob taining full knee hyperextension postoperatively. This goal can be achieved through preoperative rehabilita tion and a postoperative protocol emphasizing early restoration of full knee hyperextension.Keywords
This publication has 17 references indexed in Scilit:
- Effect on Knee Stability if Full Hyperextension is Restored Immediately After Autogenous Bone-Patellar Tendon-Bone Anterior Cruciate Ligament ReconstructionThe American Journal of Sports Medicine, 1995
- Locked bucket-handle meniscal tears in knees with chronic anterior cruciate ligament deficiencyThe American Journal of Sports Medicine, 1993
- Arthroscopic treatment of symptomatic extension block complicating anterior cruciate ligament reconstructionThe American Journal of Sports Medicine, 1993
- Loss of motion after anterior cruciate ligament reconstructionThe American Journal of Sports Medicine, 1992
- Extensor mechanism function after patellar tendon graft harvest for anterior cruciate ligament reconstructionThe American Journal of Sports Medicine, 1992
- Limitation of motion following anterior cruciate ligament reconstructionThe American Journal of Sports Medicine, 1991
- Patellofemoral problems after anterior cruciate ligament reconstructionThe American Journal of Sports Medicine, 1989
- Current trends in repair and rehabilitation of complete (acute) anterior cruciate ligament injuriesThe American Journal of Sports Medicine, 1986
- Mechanical block to extension following augmentation of the anterior cruciate ligament*The American Journal of Sports Medicine, 1984
- Knee rehabilitation after anterior cruciate ligament reconstruction and repairThe American Journal of Sports Medicine, 1981