Abstract
We studied changes in patellar tendon length after reconstruction of the anterior cruciate ligament using either the medial third of the patellar tendon as a graft (n = 40) or a Leeds-Keio artificial ligament (n = 40). Both types of ligament replacement had been supplemented with a MacIntosh extra-articular lateral substitution. The mean change in length in the tendon graft group was 6% (SD 5.39); in the Leeds-Keio group it was 2.4% (SD 4.93). The change in length was significant in both groups, but shortening was more frequent and more severe in the tendon graft group. There was shortening of 10% or more in 25% of knees after patellar tendon graft and 7.5% after use of a Leeds-Keio prosthesis.
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