The Journal of Bone and Joint Surgery, Vol 66, Issue 9 1460-1465, Copyright © 1984 by Journal of Bone and Joint Surgery, Inc
Anterior-posterior stiffness and laxity of the knee after major ligament reconstruction
A Kochan, KL Markolf and RC More
We recorded anterior-posterior force-versus-displacement curves at 20 and
90 degrees of flexion preoperatively and three years after major ligament
reconstruction in patients with documented absence of the anterior cruciate
ligament. Patients who had an extracapsular stabilization procedure alone
showed no significant changes in laxity or stiffness of the injured knee in
either position of flexion. Those who underwent reconstruction of the
absent anterior cruciate ligament utilizing the middle or medial one-third
of the patellar ligament in addition to the extracapsular procedure showed
a significant decrease in anterior laxity and increase in anterior
stiffness of the injured knee at 20 degrees of flexion. These changes in
stability were not observed at 90 degrees of flexion. Six patients with a
cruciate substitution had improved laxity and stiffness values at one year
postoperatively which were unchanged at three years. At three-year
follow-up the increases in activity scores, decreased feelings of
giving-way and pain, and elimination of the pivot shift were comparable in
both groups of patients.
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