O1175 DONOR SITE MORBIDITY AFTER ACL RECONSTRUCTION WITH BONE PATELLAR TENDON GRAFT: IPSILATERAL VERSUS CONTRALATERAL GRAFT HARVESTING

Abstract

Aim: To evaluate activity level and remaining symptoms concerning the donor site morbidity in patients having anterior cruciate ligament reconstruction (ACLreconstruction) with either ipsilateral or contralateral bone-patellar-tendon graft (BPT-graft). Methods: 100 patients aged from 18 to 49 years (mean 34) having an ACL-reconstruction with BPT-graft (with one bone block) from 1997 to 1999 were included in this study. In 52 of them a BPT-graft from the ipsilateral side was used (Group I). In 48 the contralateral BPT was used (Group II). A questionaire, including Cincinnati-, Tegner-activity score and special questions concerning persisting symptoms at the donor site, such as tenderness, numbness, kneeling pain and knee-walking pain, was sent to all patients. Results: The average Cincinnati Scoring was 85,2 in Group I and 86,3 in Group II. There was no statistical significance in Tegner scoring between the two groups. In Group I, 37,5% of the patients refered local tenderness, 59,6% kneeling pain and 82,65% knee-walking pain. According to contralateral leg in Group II, 37,5% of the patients refered local tenderness, 52% kneeling pain and 62,5% knee-walking pain vs. 8,3%, 25% and 25% respectively in the ACL reconstructed knee. Conclusions: This study showed that there are no benefits if the contralateral BPT graft is used, because all symptoms concerning donor site morbidity are shifted from the injured into the healthy knee if the graft is taken from the contralateral side.