Allografts in PCL reconstruction

Abstract

Posterior cruciate ligament (PCL) is a major stabilizer of the knee joint. It has been currently accepted that PCL insufficiency may lead in early knee degeneration and it has been widely suggested that grade III injuries should treated with surgical reconstruction of the ligament. Both autografts and allografts have been used in PCL reconstruction. Although allografts have been reported to present risks of immune reaction, disease transmission, increased cost, delayed incorporation and remodeling, and inferior structural properties, most surgeons are currently using them in PCL reconstruction considering the advantages: Decreased tourniquet and surgical time, lack of donor-site morbidity, increased size of the graft, and availability in double-bundle reconstruction and in combined multiligament injuries.