Knee Ligament Reconstruction With Fiber Tape® Reinforcement: A Safe Construct With Favourable Outcomes

Knee Ligament Reconstruction With Fiber Tape® Reinforcement: A Safe Construct With Favourable Outcomes

Ahmed Mabrouk, MBBCH (HONS), MRCS, FRCS (Trauma & Orthopaedics), UNITED KINGDOM Michael J. Risebury, MBBS(Hons), MA(Hons), FRCS(Tr&Orth), UNITED KINGDOM Sam K. Yasen, MBBS, MScEng, BSc, MRCS, FRCS(Tr&Orth), PGCE, UNITED KINGDOM

Basingstoke and North Hampshire Hospital, Department of Trauma and Orthopaedics., Basingstoke, Hampshire, UNITED KINGDOM


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Anatomic Location

Anatomic Structure

Diagnosis / Condition

Treatment / Technique


Summary: Knee ligament reconstruction with Fiber Tape® reinforcement is safe and yields a strong graft-suture construct that translates into favourable clinical outcomes with a very low complication rate and a very low graft failure rate


Purpose

Suture tape reinforcement of knee ligament reconstruction differs from suture tape augmentation as a concept in technique and biomechanics. The former allows independent loading of the graft and a biomechanically superior construct. This study reports the outcomes of Fiber Tape® (Arthrex, Naples, Florida, USA) reinforcement of knee ligament reconstruction.

Methods

A retrospective review of a prospectively maintained single-centre ligament reconstruction database, was conducted covering cases performed between March 2011 to June 2022. Cases with ligament reconstruction with Fiber Tape® reinforcement were categorized into 3 groups according to the location of use of the suture tape: Group 1- ACL reconstructions (with or without anterolateral ligament reconstruction). Group 2- multiligament knee injuries with ACL involvement. Group 3- ligaments injuries other than the ACL, . Patients were clinically evaluated preoperatively and at 6, 12 and 24 months postoperatively. Range of motion and patient reported outcome measures (PROMs) including the Knee Injury and Osteoarthritis Outcome (KOOS) scores, Lysholm scores and Tegner activity scores, were reported; along with complications and their treatments.

Results

A total of 403 cases, where one or more ligament reconstruction was reinforced with Fiber Tape®, were included. The mean age was 30.7 ± 12.7 years, with 63.8 % male and 36.2% female. The mean follow-up was 8 ± 2.8 years (range 7.7 – 8.3). There was significant clinical improvement across all PROMs in all groups from preoperative to the 24 months postoperative mark with continuous significant yearly improvements (all p < 0.05). There were no complications directly related to use of the suture tape. The overall complications rate was 3.5% (n = 14), including a 1.2% (n = 5) ACL re-rupture rate. No other ligament re-rupture was reported.

Conclusion

Knee ligament reconstruction with Fiber Tape® reinforcement is safe and yields a strong graft-suture construct that translates into favourable clinical outcomes with a very low complication rate and a very low graft failure rate.