Is double-bundle ACL reconstruction necessary?

Abstract

The surgical technique for anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) reconstruction has evolved through the years, and the results with using various graft sources, such as a hamstring tendon graft, patellar tendon graft, or allograft, have varied considerably. An open technique for ACL surgery using an ipsilateral patellar tendon graft was the gold standard for ACL surgery in the 1980s. Stability was predictably obtained, but lack of knee range of motion and donor site morbidity was common enough for surgeons that they sought other graft sources and different surgical techniques. There was a shift to arthroscopically assisted ACL reconstruction, but knee stiffness and donor site morbidity problems persisted.