Comparison of Functional Outcomes of an Anterior Cruciate Ligament (ACL) Reconstruction Using a Peroneus Longus Graft as an Alternative to the Hamstring Tendon Graft

Background Ever since the arthroscopic reconstruction of the anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) has begun, the use of the peroneus longus (PL) graft for primary ACL reconstruction (ACLR) has never been thought of. There is very little literature on it. Hence, our study aims to compare the functional outcomes, knee stability, donor site morbidity, and assessment of thigh muscle wasting in patients with ACL injury managed by arthroscopic single bundle reconstruction with peroneus longus tendon (PLT) and hamstring tendons (HT), respectively.Methods All adults aged 16-50 years of either gender presenting with symptoms of symptomatic ACL deficiency were admitted for arthroscopic single-bundle ACLR and allocated into two groups (peroneus longus and hamstring tendon). Functional scores (International Knee Documentation Committee (IKDC), Lysholm score), clinical knee evaluation (anterior drawer, Lachman, and pivot shift test), donor site morbidity (American Orthopedic Foot and Ankle Society ankle hindfoot score (AOFAS)), and thigh circumference were recorded preoperatively and at six months and one year postoperatively. The same post-op rehabilitation protocol was followed in both groups.Results One hundred and ninety-four patients (hamstring n = 96, peroneus n = 98) met the inclusion criteria. There were no significant differences between the preoperative, six-month postoperative, and one-year postoperative scores between the hamstring and peroneus longus groups in the IKDC (p=0.356) and Lysholm knee score (p=0.289). The mean for the AOFAS was 99.05 +/- 3.56 and 99.80 +/- 0.70 in the PLT and HT groups, respectively, showing no statistical difference, with a significant improvement in thigh muscle wasting among the PLT group at final follow-up (p < 0.001).Conclusion We observed similar knee stability and functional outcomes and no obvious donor site morbidity among both groups. These patients also had better responses to physiotherapy in recovering from their thigh muscle wasting. So, we can recommend that a PL graft can be a safe, viable, and effective option for usual arthroscopic single-bundle ACL reconstruction.