Differences in Mechanisms of Failure, Intraoperative Findings, and Surgical Characteristics Between Single- and Multiple-Revision ACL Reconstructions
Authors: Chen James L. , Allen Christina R. , Stephens Thomas E. , Haas Amanda K. , Huston Laura J. , Wright Rick W. , Feeley Brian T. ,   the Multicenter ACL Revision Study (MARS) Group, Albright John P. , Amendola Annunziato (Ned) , Anderson Allen F. , Andrish Jack T. , Annunziata Christopher C. , Arciero Robert A. , Bach Bernard R. , Baker Champ L. , Bartolozzi Arthur R. , Baumgarten Keith M. , Bechler Jeffery R. , Berg Jeffrey H. , Bernas Geoff , Brockmeier Stephen F. , Brophy Robert H. , Bush-Joseph Charles A. , Butler J. Brad , Campbell John D. , Carey James L. , Carpenter James E. , Cole Brian J. , Cooper Daniel E. , Cooper Jonathan M. , Cox Charles L. , Creighton R. Alexander , Dahm Diane L. , David Tal S. , DeBerardino Thomas M. , Dunn Warren R. , Flanigan David C. , Frederick Robert W. , Ganley Theodore J. , 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. , Hosea Timothy M. , Johnson David C. , Johnson Timothy S. , Jones Morgan H. , Kaeding Christopher C. , Kamath Ganesh V. , Klootwyk Thomas E. , Lantz Brett (Brick) A. , Levy Bruce A. , Ma C. Benjamin , Maiers G. Peter , Mann Barton , 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 MAJ 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. , Spindler Kurt P. , Stuart Michael J. , Svoboda LTC Steven J. , Taft Timothy N. , Tenuta COL Joachim J. , Tingstad Edwin M. , Vidal Armando F. , Viskontas Darius G. , White Richard A. , Williams James S. , Wolcott Michelle L. , Wolf Brian R. , York James J. 
Published: May 2013

Background:

The factors that lead to patients failing multiple anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) reconstructions are not well understood.

Hypothesis:

Multiple-revision ACL reconstruction will have different characteristics than first-time revision in terms of previous and current graft selection, mode of failure, chondral/meniscal injuries, and surgical charactieristics.

Study Design:

Case-control study; Level of evidence, 3.

Methods:

A prospective multicenter ACL revision database was utilized for the time period from March 2006 to June 2011. Patients were divided into those who underwent a single-revision ACL reconstruction and those who underwent multiple-revision ACL reconstructions. The primary outcome variable was Marx activity level. Primary data analyses between the groups included a comparison of graft type, perceived mechanism of failure, associated injury (meniscus, ligament, and cartilage), reconstruction type, and tunnel position. Data were compared by analysis of variance with a post hoc Tukey test.

Results:

A total of 1200 patients (58% men; median age, 26 years) were enrolled, with 1049 (87%) patients having a primary revision and 151 (13%) patients having a second or subsequent revision. Marx activity levels were significantly higher (9.77) in the primary-revision group than in those patients with multiple revisions (6.74). The most common cause of reruptures was a traumatic, noncontact ACL graft injury in 55% of primary-revision patients; 25% of patients had a nontraumatic, gradual-onset recurrent injury, and 11% had a traumatic, contact injury. In the multiple-revision group, a nontraumatic, gradual-onset injury was the most common cause of recurrence (47%), followed by traumatic noncontact (35%) and nontraumatic sudden onset (11%) ( P < .01 between groups). Chondral injuries in the medial compartment were significantly more common in the multiple-revision group than in the single-revision group, as were chondral injuries in the patellofemoral compartment.

Conclusion:

Patients with multiple-revision ACL reconstructions had lower activity levels, were more likely to have chondral injuries in the medial and patellofemoral compartments, and had a high rate of a nontraumatic, recurrent injury of their graft.