All-inside technique for isolated posterior cruciate ligament tears: Surgical technique and outcomes

Introduction: The aim of this paper is to describe all-inside posterior cruciate ligament (aiPCL) reconstruction surgical technique and to report complications and outcomes in female patients with isolated posterior cruciate ligament (PCL) tears. Methods: Preoperative and postoperative evaluations included posterior drawer test, dial test at 30(o) and 90(o) of knee flexion, Tegner score, and Lysholm score. The mean follow-up was 33.12 months (range 12-74). Results: Twenty-five female patients with grade II or grade III isolated lesions of the PCL underwent aiPCL reconstruction. The mean age of the patients at the time of surgery was 29.7 +/- 12.9 years, while the mean time from injury to surgery was 11 months (range 12-324). No intraoperative/postoperative complications occurred. At the last follow-up, 16 (69.5 %) and 5 (21.5 %) patients had a grade A and B posterior drawer test, respectively, while the dial test (30(o) and 90(o) of knee flexion) was negative in all patients. The mean preoperative Lysholm score was 64.08 +/- 13.06 points (range 37-85 points), while the mean postoperative Lysholm score was 88.12 +/- 13.33 points (range 50-100 points) (p<0.0001). No statistically significant differences were found comparing preoperative and postoperative Tegner score results. Conclusions: The arthroscopic aiPCL reconstruction seems safe and effective.