Allograft anterior tibialis tendon with bioabsorbable interference screw fixation in anterior cruciate ligament reconstruction

Abstract

For a variety of reasons, bone-patellar tendon-bone and Achilles tendon allografts have been used more commonly in anterior cruciate ligament reconstruction. Soft-tissue allografts used mainly are the semitendinosus, gracilis, and occasionally the quadriceps tendons. The anterior tibialis tendon is a thick, strong tendon that can be prepared with one doubling of the graft, has a large cross-sectional area, and has been shown to be stronger than semitendinosus, gracilis, patellar tendon, and native anterior cruciate ligament. Use of allograft shortens surgical time, eliminates graft harvest-site morbidity, and allows for a large supply of grafts for repeat or multiple ligament procedures. This graft can be fixed to the femoral and tibial bone tunnels with bioabsorbable interference screws for a hardware-free, completely endoscopic procedure. Two- to 4-year results of allograft procedures are comparable to autograft procedures, and there have been no early failures with this described technique using anterior tibialis tendon.