Generalized Joint Laxity Is Associated With Increased Failure Rates of Primary Anterior Cruciate Ligament Reconstructions: A Systematic Review

Abstract

Purpose: To investigate patients with generalized joint laxity (GJL) after primary anterior cruciate ligament reconstruction (ACLR) as to the risk of ACLR failure, graft selection success rates, and overall clinical outcomes.

Methods: A systematic review of the PubMed and EMBASE databases was performed to identify studies published from the inception of the databases through February 4, 2020. The inclusion criteria were original studies written in English involving outcomes of patients with GJL who had undergone primary ACLR.

Results: Nine studies met the inclusion criteria, which included 1,869 patients. Most underwent isolated bone-patellar tendon-bone (BPTB; n = 1062) or hamstring autograft (n = 696) ACLR. Overall, higher graft failure rates tended to occur in patients with GJL compared with patients without GJL (range per study: 6%-30% vs 0%-12.3%). Inferior results were also found patients with GJL in patient-reported outcome measures and postoperative knee stability determined by KT, Lachman, and pivot-shift tests. BPTB autografts tended to have lower failure rates than hamstring autografts in patients with GJL (range per study: 6%-21% vs 17.6%-30%). Only 1 study determined outcomes of a combined ACLR and extra-articular augmentation in patients with GJL.

Conclusions: Patients with GJL are at an increased risk of inferior outcomes and graft failure after primary ACLR. BPTB autografts may have more favorable stability outcomes compared with hamstring autografts in patients with GJL. However, the reported stability parameters and KT results, even with a BPTB autograft, remain inferior to non-GJL published results, and the added benefit of an extra-articular procedure to supplement the primary ACLR deserves consideration.

Level of evidence: Level III, systematic review of Level II and III investigations.