Abstract
Aims: To evaluate the morphologic changes in the patellar tendon 10 years after harvesting its central third for reconstruction of the anterior cruciate ligament, and examine the association between the morphologic changes and the occurrence of anterior knee pain of the patients. Methods: Thirty-one patients who had undergone an anterior cruciate ligament reconstruction using central-third bone-patellar tendon-bone autograft with a closure of the patellar tendon defect were included in this study. An ultrasonographic and Power Doppler examination was performed at a mean follow-up of 10 years. Results: Ultrasonography of the harvested patellar tendon showed intratendinous calcification in 9 patients, hypoechoic lesion in 20 patients, hyperechoic lesion in one patient, and peritendinous changes in one patient. No abnormality was visible in the contralateral (normal) patellar tendons of the 31 patients. The harvested patellar tendon was significantly thicker than the contralateral patellar tendon both at the proximal third (p=0.017) and at the distal third (p=0.020) of the tendon. Patellar osteophytes were more common in patients with anterior knee pain than without it (p=0.05). Conclusions: Sonographic morphologic changes of the patellar tendon were common 10 years after the harvesting procedure. Also, the harvested patellar tendon was significantly thicker than the normal patellar tendon.
Theses abstracts were prepared by Professor Dr. Frantz Langlais. Correspondence should be addressed to him at EFORT Central Office, Freihofstrasse 22, CH-8700 Küsnacht, Switzerland.
