The QT autograft detected comparable rate of Lachman test > 3 mm , Pivot shift test > 3 m and instrumental laxity > 3 mm .
The QT autograft showed a lower rate of autograft failure above all .
The QT autograft detected the reduced rate of AKP than the PT .
Quadriceps tendon autograft may represent a feasible option for primary ACL reconstruction .
The purpose of the current study was to clarify the role of the quadriceps tendon ( QT ) autograft for primary ACL reconstruction .
Thus , a Bayesian network meta- analysis comparing patients undergoing a primary ACL reconstruction with QT versus patellar tendon ( PT ) and hamstring tendon ( HT ) autografts  was conducted .
Is Quadriceps Tendon Autograft a Better Choice Than Hamstring Autograft for Anterior Cruciate Ligament Reconstruction? A Comparative Study With a Mean Follow-up of 3.6 Years
Background : The quadriceps tendon ( QT ) autograft is known as an effective graft for anterior cruciate ligament ( ACL ) reconstruction and shows a similar functional outcome to the bone-patellar tendon-bone ( BPTB ) in r and omized controlled trials , with a lesser incidence of complications . Up until now , only 2 studies have compared QT to hamstring tendon ( HT ) autograft . Hypothesis : The functional outcomes of the QT technique are at least as good as those of the HT technique , with the same morbidity . Study Design : Cohort study ; Level of evidence , 3 . Methods : Ninety-five patients underwent isolated ACL reconstruction between January 1 and December 31 , 2012 . Fifty underwent ACL reconstruction with the QT and 45 with the HT .  The same surgical technique , fixation method , and postoperative protocol were used in both groups . The following parameters were evaluated : surgical revisions , functional outcome ( Lysholm , Knee injury and Osteoarthritis Outcome Score [ KOOS ] , Tegner , subjective International Knee Documentation Committee ) , joint stability ( KT-1000 , Lachman , pivot shift ) , anterior knee pain ( Shelbourne-Trumper score ) , and isokinetic strength . Descriptive statistics are presented for these variables using the Student t test . Results : Eighty-six patients ( 45 QT , 41 HT ) were review ed with a mean follow-up of 3.6 ± 0.4 years ; minimum follow-up was 3 years . There were 4 reoperations in the QT group ( including 1 ACL revision ) and 3 in the HT group ( including 2 ACL revisions ) ( P > .05 ) . The Lysholm ( 89 ± 6.9 vs 83.1 ± 5.3 ) , KOOS Symptoms ( 90 ± 11.2 vs 81 ± 10.3 ) , and KOOS Sport ( 82 ± 11.3 vs 67 ± 12.4 ) scores were significantly better in the QT group than in the HT group . In terms of stability , the mean side-to-side difference was 1.1 ± 0.9 mm for the QT group and 3.1 ± 1.3 mm for the HT group based on KT-1000 measurements ( P < .005 ) . The negative Lachman component was higher in the QT group than in the HT group ( 90 % vs 46 % , P < .005 ) . There was a trend for the negative pivot-shift component to be higher in the QT group than in the HT group ( 90 % vs 64 % , P = .052 ) . The Shelbourne-Trumper score was the same in both groups . There was no difference between groups in terms of isokinetic strength . Conclusion : The use of a QT graft in ACL reconstruction leads to equal or better functional outcomes than does the use of an HT graft , without affecting morbidity
The QT autograft detected comparable rate of Lachman test > 3 mm , Pivot shift test > 3 m and instrumental laxity > 3 mm .
The QT autograft showed a lower rate of autograft failure above all .
The QT autograft detected the reduced rate of AKP than the PT .
Quadriceps tendon autograft may represent a feasible option for primary ACL reconstruction .
The purpose of the current study was to clarify the role of the quadriceps tendon ( QT ) autograft for primary ACL reconstruction .
Thus , a Bayesian network meta- analysis comparing patients undergoing a primary ACL reconstruction with QT versus patellar tendon ( PT ) and hamstring tendon ( HT ) autografts  was conducted .