Influence of medial hamstring tendon harvest on knee flexor strength after anterior cruciate ligament reconstruction. A detailed evaluation with comparison of single- and double-tendon harvest

The advantages of hamstring tendon autografts for anterior cruciate ligament reconstruction are well known; however, concerns have arisen regarding the influence of hamstring tendon harvest on postoperative weakness in knee flexion. To evaluate the influence of hamstring tendon harvest on knee flexi...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:The American journal of sports medicine 2003-07, Vol.31 (4), p.522-529
Main Authors: Tashiro, Toshiyuki, Kurosawa, Hisashi, Kawakami, Akira, Hikita, Atsushi, Fukui, Naoshi
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Adolescent
Adult
Anterior Cruciate Ligament - surgery
Anterior Cruciate Ligament Injuries
Athletic Injuries - rehabilitation
Athletic Injuries - surgery
Extremities, Lower
Female
Humans
Hypermobility
Joint instability
Joint Instability - physiopathology
Joints
Knee - physiopathology
Leg
Leg muscles
Male
Measurement
Middle Aged
Muscle strength
Muscle, Skeletal - physiopathology
Muscles
Outcome and Process Assessment (Health Care)
Posture
Prospective Studies
Range of Motion, Articular
Reconstructive Surgical Procedures - methods
Reconstructive Surgical Procedures - rehabilitation
Sports medicine
Surgery
Tendon transplantation
Tendons
Tendons - transplantation
Torque
Transplantation
Transplants
Treatment Outcome
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Summary:The advantages of hamstring tendon autografts for anterior cruciate ligament reconstruction are well known; however, concerns have arisen regarding the influence of hamstring tendon harvest on postoperative weakness in knee flexion. To evaluate the influence of hamstring tendon harvest on knee flexion strength in patients undergoing anterior cruciate ligament reconstruction. Prospective randomized study. Ninety patients were randomly assigned at surgery to undergo anterior cruciate ligament reconstruction with either a semitendinosus tendon autograft or a semitendinosus and gracilis tendon autograft. Quadriceps and hamstring muscle strength was tested before surgery and at 6, 12, and 18 months after surgery. There was no significant difference in clinical results between the groups and neither group showed a significant decrease in isokinetic hamstring muscle strength. However, when the subjects' knees were at positions of 70 degrees or more of flexion, both isokinetic and isometric measurements revealed a significant decrease in hamstring muscle strength in both groups. The strength in the group with semitendinosus and gracilis tendons was considerably less than that in the group with semitendinosus tendon alone at 18 months. Tendon harvest causes significant weakness of hamstring muscle strength at high knee flexion angles, but such weakness can be minimized if the gracilis tendon is preserved.
ISSN:0363-5465
1552-3365
DOI:10.1177/31.4.522