Is fixation with a U-shaped staple necessary in anterior cruciate ligament reconstruction?

Abstract

Aims: This study aimed to compare the clinical and functional outcomes of patients who underwent anterior cruciate ligament reconstruction using a quadruple hamstring autograft with and without U-shaped staple fixation and tibial tunnel BioScrew fixation. Methods: Patients who underwent arthroscopic anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) reconstruction by a single surgeon between August 2020 and June 2022 were retrospectively analyzed. The time to return to sports after surgery and the evaluation of preoperative and postoperative Lysholm Knee scores, International Knee Documentation Committee (IKDC) scores, VAS scores, and thigh diameters, were conducted. Statistical analysis of the study data was performed using SPSS 29.0 (IBM InCorp, USA). Results: A total of 100 patients (77% male) who underwent arthroscopic ACL reconstruction were included in the analysis. There was no significant difference in Lysholm knee scores and IKDC scores between patients undergoing fixation with or without staples. However, VAS scores were significantly lower in the non staple group. Conclusion: The present study found that fixation with a staple in addition to tibial BioScrew fixation of the autograft in the tibial tunnel resulted in more pain in the patients, and there was no significant difference in clinical and functional outcomes between the staple and non staple groups.