Association Between Graft Choice and 6-Year Outcomes of Revision Anterior Cruciate Ligament Reconstruction in the MARS Cohort
Authors:   MARS Group, Wright Rick W. , Huston Laura J. , Haas Amanda K. , Pennings Jacquelyn S. , Allen Christina R. , Cooper Daniel E. , DeBerardino Thomas M. , Dunn Warren R. , Lantz Brett (Brick) A. , Spindler Kurt P. , Stuart Michael J. , Albright John P. , Amendola Annunziato (Ned) , Andrish Jack T. , Annunziata Christopher C. , Arciero Robert A. , Bach Jr Bernard R. , Baker Champ L. , Bartolozzi Arthur R. , Baumgarten Keith M. , Bechler Jeffery R. , Berg Jeffrey H. , Bernas Geoffrey A. , Brockmeier Stephen F. , Brophy Robert H. , Bush-Joseph Charles A. , Brad Butler V J. , Campbell John D. , Carey James L. , Carpenter James E. , Cole Brian J. , Cooper Jonathan M. , Cox Charles L. , Creighton R. Alexander , Dahm Diane L. , David Tal S. , Flanigan David C. , Frederick Robert W. , Ganley Theodore J. , Garofoli Elizabeth A. , Gatt Charles J. , Gecha Steven R. , Giffin James Robert , Hame Sharon L. , Hannafin Jo A. , Harner Christopher D. , Harris Norman Lindsay , Hechtman Keith S. , Hershman Elliott B. , Hoellrich Rudolf G. , Johnson David C. , Johnson Timothy S. , Jones Morgan H. , Kaeding Christopher C. , Kamath Ganesh V. , Klootwyk Thomas E. , Levy Bruce A. , Ma C. Benjamin , Maiers G. Peter , Marx Robert G. , Matava Matthew J. , Mathien Gregory M. , McAllister David R. , McCarty Eric C. , McCormack Robert G. , Miller Bruce S. , Nissen Carl W. , O’Neill Daniel F. , Owens Brett D. , Parker Richard D. , Purnell Mark L. , Ramappa Arun J. , Rauh Michael A. , Rettig Arthur C. , Sekiya Jon K. , Shea Kevin G. , Sherman Orrin H. , Slauterbeck James R. , Smith Matthew V. , Spang Jeffrey T. , Svoboda LTC Steven J. , Taft Timothy N. , Tenuta Joachim J. , Tingstad Edwin M. , Vidal Armando F. , Viskontas Darius G. , White Richard A. , Williams Jr James S. , Wolcott Michelle L. , Wolf Brian R. , York James J. 
Published: July 2021

Background:

Although graft choice may be limited in the revision setting based on previously used grafts, most surgeons believe that graft choice for anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) reconstruction is an important factor related to outcome.

Hypothesis:

In the ACL revision setting, there would be no difference between autograft and allograft in rerupture rate and patient-reported outcomes (PROs) at 6-year follow-up.

Study Design:

Cohort study; Level of evidence, 2.

Methods:

Patients who had revision surgery were identified and prospectively enrolled in this cohort study by 83 surgeons over 52 sites. Data collected included baseline characteristics, surgical technique and pathology, and a series of validated PRO measures. Patients were followed up at 6 years and asked to complete the identical set of PRO instruments. Incidence of additional surgery and reoperation because of graft failure were also recorded. Multivariable regression models were used to determine the predictors (risk factors) of PROs, graft rerupture, and reoperation at 6 years after revision surgery.

Results:

A total of 1234 patients including 716 (58%) men were enrolled. A total of 325 (26%) underwent revision using a bone-patellar tendon-bone (BTB) autograft; 251 (20%), soft tissue autograft; 289 (23%), BTB allograft; 302 (25%), soft tissue allograft; and 67 (5%), other graft. Questionnaires and telephone follow-up for subsequent surgery information were obtained for 809 (66%) patients, while telephone follow-up was only obtained for an additional 128 patients for the total follow-up on 949 (77%) patients. Graft choice was a significant predictor of 6-year Marx Activity Rating Scale scores ( P = .024). Specifically, patients who received a BTB autograft for revision reconstruction had higher activity levels than did patients who received a BTB allograft (odds ratio [OR], 1.92; 95% CI, 1.25-2.94). Graft rerupture was reported in 5.8% (55/949) of patients by their 6-year follow-up: 3.5% (16/455) of patients with autografts and 8.4% (37/441) of patients with allografts. Use of a BTB autograft for revision resulted in patients being 4.2 times less likely to sustain a subsequent graft rupture than if a BTB allograft were utilized ( P = .011; 95% CI, 1.56-11.27). No significant differences were found in graft rerupture rates between BTB autograft and soft tissue autografts ( P = .87) or between BTB autografts and soft tissue allografts ( P = .36). Use of an autograft was found to be a significant predictor of having fewer reoperations within 6 years compared with using an allograft ( P = .010; OR, 0.56; 95% CI, 0.36-0.87).

Conclusion:

BTB and soft tissue autografts had a decreased risk in graft rerupture compared with BTB allografts. BTB autografts were associated with higher activity level than were BTB allografts at 6 years after revision reconstruction. Surgeons and patients should consider this information when choosing a graft for revision ACL reconstruction.