Open AccessIncreased risk of ACL revision with non‐surgical treatment of a concomitant medial collateral ligament injury: a study on 19,457 patients from the Swedish National Knee Ligament Registry
Author(s) -
Svantesson Eleonor,
Hamrin Senorski Eric,
AlentornGeli Eduard,
Westin Olof,
Sundemo David,
Grassi Alberto,
Čustović Svemir,
Samuelsson Kristian
Publication year - 2018
Publication title -
knee surgery, sports traumatology, arthroscopy
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.806
H-Index - 125
eISSN - 1433-7347
pISSN - 0942-2056
DOI - 10.1007/s00167-018-5237-3
Subject(s) - concomitant , medicine , anterior cruciate ligament , medial collateral ligament , surgery , anterior cruciate ligament reconstruction , ligament , acl injury
Purpose To determine how concomitant medial collateral ligament (MCL) and lateral collateral ligament (LCL) injuries affect outcome after anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) reconstruction. Methods Patients aged > 15 years who were registered in the Swedish National Knee Ligament Registry for primary ACL reconstruction between 2005 and 2016 were eligible for inclusion. Patients with a concomitant MCL or LCL injury were stratified according to collateral ligament treatment (non‐surgical, repair or reconstruction), and one isolated ACL reconstruction group was created. The outcomes were ACL revision and the 2‐year Knee Injury and Osteoarthritis Outcome Score (KOOS), which were analyzed using univariable and multivariable Cox regression and an analysis of covariance, respectively. Results A total of 19,457 patients (mean age 27.9 years, 59.4% males) met the inclusion criteria. An isolated ACL reconstruction implied a lower risk of ACL revision compared with presence of a non‐surgically treated MCL injury (HR = 0.61 [95% CI 0.41–0.89], p = 0.0097) but not compared with MCL repair or reconstruction. A concomitant LCL injury did not impact the risk of ACL revision. Patients with a concomitant MCL or LCL injury reported inferior 2‐year KOOS compared with isolated ACL reconstruction. The largest difference was found in the sports and recreation subscale across all groups, with MCL reconstruction resulting in the maximum difference (14.1 points [95% CI 4.3–23.9], p = 0.005). Conclusion Non‐surgical treatment of a concomitant MCL injury in the setting of an ACL reconstruction may increase the risk of ACL revision. However, surgical treatment of the MCL injury was associated with a worse two‐year patient‐reported knee function. A concomitant LCL injury does not impact the risk of ACL revision compared with an isolated ACL reconstruction. Level of evidence Cohort study, Level III.