Background: Anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) reconstruction is a commonly performed procedure to restore the stability of the knee. However, there is still no consensus on the optimal approach for determining the position of the tibial and femoral tunnels. In this study, we aimed to evaluate the effect of endobutton positioning on the clinical outcomes of the patients who underwent ACL reconstruction.
Methods: We evaluated 100 adult patients who underwent single-bundle ACL reconstruction surgery at our institution. The patients were categorized based on the position of the femoral endobutton observed in lateral and AP radiographs. We investigated the relationship between the position of the femoral endobutton in lateral and AP radiographs and the clinical outcomes of range of motion (ROM), Pivot Shift examination, and knee function scores at the 6-month follow-up.
Results: The Intermediate group had the largest number of patients, but there were no significant differences in the clinical examination results and knee function among these groups. Although the majority of individuals fell into the <39% group, there were no significant differences in clinical outcomes and knee function across these groups.
Conclusion: In conclusion, our study found no significant relationship between the position of the femoral endobutton as determined by radiography and the clinical examination results and knee function. These findings suggest that further research is needed to better understand the optimal approach for determining the position of the tibial and femoral tunnels and the appropriate grip for ACL reconstruction.