Cohort study of short-term outcomes after ACL-reconstruction using autograft with internal brace reinforcement versus isolated autograft demonstrating no significant difference

Background: The gold standard treatment for Anterior Cruciate Ligament injury is reconstruction (ACL-R). Graft failure is the concern and ensuring a durable initial graft with rapid integration is crucial. Graft augmentation with implantable devices (internal brace reinforcement) is a technique purported to reduce the risk of rupture and hasten recovery. Few studies have examined these techniques, in particular when compared to nonaugmented grafts. This study assesses the short-term outcome of ACL-R using augmented and non-augmented hamstring tendon autografts. Methods: This was a retrospective cohort study comparing augmented and non-augmented ACL-R. All procedures were performed in a single centre using the same technique. The Knee injury and Osteoarthritis Outcome Score [KOOS] was used to assess patient-reported outcomes. Results: There were 70 patients in the augmented and 111 patients in the control group. Mean graft diameter in the augmented group was 8.82 mm versus 8.44 mm in the non-augmented. Six strand graft was achievable in 73.5% of the augmented group compared to 33% in the non-augmented group. Two graft failures were reported in the non-augmented group and none in the augmented group. Patient satisfaction rates were higher in the augmented group. There was a statistically insignificant improvement in the postoperative KOOS in the augmented group compared to the non-augmented group (p 0.6). Irrespective of augmentation status, no correlation was found between the functional score and age, or femoral tunnel width. Conclusion: No statistically significant difference was demonstrated in the short-term functional outcome of ACL reconstruction using an augmented or non-augmented hamstring graft. Augmented ACL-R may achieve superior graft diameters, failure rates and patient reported outcomes when compared to nonaugmented ACL-R. Prospective trials are needed to examine this further.