Graft healing after anterior cruciate ligament reconstruction in rabbits

Clin Orthop Relat Res. 1997 Oct:(343):203-12.

Abstract

Anterior cruciate ligament reconstruction with patellar tendon was performed in 50 rabbits (two groups of 25 animals) by the outside-in (Group I) and the inside-out (Group II) techniques. Five animals from each group were sacrificed at different times (2 weeks, 1, 3, 6, and 9 months). Histologic analysis showed that the intraarticular part of the graft was morphologically similar to a normal ligament in both groups at 9 months. In Group 1, a newly formed bone-graft junction along the tunnel walls was observed inside the femoral tunnel. At 6 months, this junction resembled a direct type junction. The old bone-tendon junction showed an early disappearance of the fibrocartilage and was differentiated as a direct junction only at 9 months. In Group 2, at the site of the old bone-tendon junction a fibrocartilaginous layer was present during the whole process of remodeling, and at 6 months this area resembled a direct junction. These observations would suggest that when the junction is placed inside the tunnel (outside-in technique) the process of remodeling is more dramatic and slower than when it is placed at the intraarticular exit of the tunnel (inside-out technique), probably because of the formation of a new bone-graft junction along the tunnel walls that partially unload the old junction.

MeSH terms

  • Animals
  • Anterior Cruciate Ligament / pathology
  • Anterior Cruciate Ligament / surgery*
  • Bone Remodeling
  • Bone Screws
  • Bone Wires
  • Calcification, Physiologic
  • Cartilage, Articular / pathology
  • Cell Differentiation
  • Cell Division
  • Chondrocytes / pathology
  • Connective Tissue / pathology
  • Female
  • Femur / pathology
  • Femur / surgery
  • Follow-Up Studies
  • Osteonecrosis / pathology
  • Osteosclerosis / pathology
  • Osteotomy / instrumentation
  • Osteotomy / methods
  • Patella / pathology
  • Patella / surgery
  • Patellar Ligament / transplantation*
  • Rabbits
  • Stress, Mechanical
  • Tibia / pathology
  • Tibia / surgery
  • Transplantation, Autologous
  • Wound Healing