## 3 Results  
A total of 32 patients were included in this study; 28 individuals (87.5%) were males and 4 were females (12.5%). The mean age in the studied group was 35.7 \(\pm\) 12.1 years (range 20-63). A total of 27 patients (84.4%) underwent primary ACLR and LET surgery, while 5 patients (15.6%) had revision ACL and LET. Ultrasound examination was performed an average 234.5 \(\pm\) 136.3 days (range 55-478) after surgery. The ITB strip was seen in 31 individuals (96.9%). In one patient it was impossible to localize the graft using ultrasounds. On ultrasonography, effusion around the LET strip was present in five patients (16.1%). Regarding echogenicity, the hyperechoic LET strip was present in 27 (87.1%) patients, and the hypoechoic ITB strip in 4 (12.9%). Measurements in ultrasounds revealed that the average width of ITB strips was 5.0 \(\pm\) 1.6 mm, while their height was 4.6 mm \(\pm\) 1.2 mm. Localization of ITB strips was as follows: 18 LET strips (58.1%) were localized at the level of the femur, 11 (35.5%) were between the femur and the tibia, and 2 (6.5%) were at the level of the tibia. The vascularization ITB strip was not present using power Doppler sonography; the signal was negative. A schematic illustration depicting the ITB strip is presented in Figure 1, while particular sonographic features are presented in Figure 2. Ultrasound images of ITB strips in Figure 2 were obtained from different patients showing their normal sonographic appearance and potential pathologies. It is important to note that the sonographic appearance of the ITB strip may differ depending on the level and orientation of the scan and the device used. These factors may influence the ITB strip echotexture and the visibility of surrounding structures. Demographic data and sonographic features are shown in Table 1.  
Figure 1: Illustration showing the harvested ITB strip (grey strip) passed under the LCL (white strip) following the modified Lemaire technique. 1—lateral collateral ligament, 2—Gerdy’s tubercule (the point of insertion for the ITB), 3—attachment site of the proximal fragment of the harvested graft that should be located proximally and posteriorly to the lateral epicondyle of the femur. Figure 2: Sonographic pictures of ITB strips obtained from different patients showing their normal sonographic appearance and potential pathologies. (**A**) Ultrasound short-axis scan of the iliotbial band (ITB) strip (arrow) located at the level of the tibia. The ITB strip is hyperechoic. (**B**) Ultrasound short-axis scan of the iliotbial band (ITB) strip (arrow) located between the femur and the tibia. The echogenicity of the ITB strip is slightly altered with centres of significantly decreased echogenicity. (**C**) Ultrasound short-axis scan of the iliotbial band (ITB) strip (arrow) located between the femur and the tibia. The ITB strip is hyperechoic with the surrounding hypoechogenic area, suggesting the presence of fluid (*). (**D**) Ultrasound short-axis scan of the iliotbial band (ITB) strip (arrow) located at the level of the tibia. The ITB strip is hyperechoic with the surrounding hypoechogenic area, suggesting the presence of fluid (*). F—femur; T—tibia; LCL—lateral collateral ligament; *—presence of fluid. Functional score values increased in each case compared to pre-operative measurements. There were statistically significant increases in KOOS-pain, KOOS-symptoms, KOOS-ADL, KOOS-sport, KOOS-sputor, KOOS-quality, IKDC, and Lysholm scores. WOMAC scores decreased postoperatively and were also statistically significant, which indicates improved clinical results. Outcome scores are presented in Table 2. The negative correlation between the postoperative KOOS-symptoms score and effusion around the ITB strip was noticed and is presented in Figure 3. However, KOOS-pain, KOOS-ADL, KOOS-sport, KOOS-quality, IKDC, Lysholm, and WOMAC scores were not correlated. Correlations of ultrasound features of ITB strips (such as width and height) and clinical outcomes assessed using scales are summarized in Tables 3-5.