The purpose of this study was to determine the incidence of graft-tunnel mismatch (GTM) when performing anatomic anterior cruciate ligament reconstruction (ACLR) using bone-patella tendon-bone (BPTB) grafts and anteromedial portal drilling. Beginning in November 2018, 100 consecutive patients who underwent ACLR by two sports fellowship-trained, orthopedic surgeons using BPTB autograft and anteromedial portal drilling were prospectively identified. The BPTB graft dimensions and the femoral tunnel distance, tibial tunnel distance, intra-articular distance, and total distance were measured. Surgeons determined the depth and angle of tunnels based on the patella tendon graft length dimensions in each case. After passage of the graft, the distance from the distal graft tip to the tibial cortex aperture was measured. GTM was defined as the need for additional measures to obtain satisfactory tibial graft fixation (< 1 5e20 mm of bone fixation). The incidence of mismatch was 6/100 (6%). Five cases involved the graft being too long, with the tibial bone plug protruding excessively from the tibial tunneld4/5 had a patella tendon length ? 50 mm. Three cases were managed with femoral tunnel recession, and two were treated with a free bone plug technique. One patient with a patella tendon length of 35 mm had a graft that was too short, with the tibial bone plug recessed in the tibial tunnel. Of patients whose tibial tunnel distance was within 5 mm of the patella tendon length, only 1/46 (2%) patients had mismatch, whereas 5/54 (9%) of patients who had >5 mm difference had mismatch. The incidence of grafttunnel mismatch after anatomic ACLR using BTPB and anteromedial portal drilling in this study is 6%. To limit the occurrence of GTM where the graft is too long, surgeons should drill tibial tunnel distances within 5 mm of the patella tendon length

Injuries to the infra-patella branch of the saphenous nerve on harvesting Bone-Patella Tendon-Bone (BPB) autograft commonly cause anterior knee pain. The purpose of this study is to investigate the possibility of harvesting a good BPB graft without injury to the nerve by using double mini-incision.

Twelve adult cadaveric knees, with two vertical incisions of 25mm, one over the inferior pole of the patella, and the other over the tibial tuberosity were prepared. The tibial bone block was harvested, with preservation of the para-tendon, making a subcutaneous tunnel proximally and stripped to dissect the middle 1/3 of the patella tendon. The graft was then detached after harvesting the patella bone block, and examined for size and quality. The knees were finally dissected to check the relationship of the incisions with the infra-patella branch, and see if it was injured.

All BPB grafts were found to have good tendon qualities of average 9.5mm in width. The tibial bone plug is of average 25mm in length and 10mm in width, while the patella bone plug is of average 22mm in length & 9mm in width. All 12 knees have 2 infra-patella branches, with the proximal branch running at averaged distance of 23mm distal to the proximal incision, while the distal branch lying at averaged distance of 11mm proximal to the distal incision. 2 out of the 12 distal branches were injured by the distal incision.

Double-mini incision allows harvesting of a consistently good quality BPB graft with preservation of the infra-patella branch of the saphenous nerve.