A CONTINUING MAGNETIC RESONANCE IMAGING STUDY FOLLOWING ANTERIOR CRUCIATE LIGAMENT RECONSTRUCTION USING HAMSTRINGS: THE FATE OF THE BIO INTERFERENCE SCREW FOR TIBIAL FIXATION AND ANY EVIDENCE OF FEMORAL TUNNEL WIDENING FOLLOWING ENDOBUTTON SLING FIXATION

Abstract

A paper was presented two years ago reviewing evidence of absorption of the Bio Interference screw and tunnel widening at three, six and 12 months following anterior cruciate ligament reconstruction using double-stranded hamstrings. The femoral fixation was with an Endobutton with a double loop of Mercylene tape with a Bio Interference screw and an extra small staple for the distal fixation. This paper presents further magnet resonance imaging (MRI) studies at least two years after surgery on 10 of those patients to assess if there was any MRI evidence of absorption of the Bio Interference screw or tunnel widening (in particular ganglion formation) in the femoral or tibial tunnels.

The results showed that at least two years after surgery there was little evidence of Bio Interference screw absorption. There was no evidence of tunnel widening.