Evaluation After Re-Notchplasty at Second-Look Arthroscopy

Purpose : We evaluated the results of re-notchplasty following anterior cruciate ligament reconstruction using hamstrings, and compared them with magnetic resonance imaging (MRI).Methods : Between 1997and 2002, 63 patients (32.8%) who underwent re-notchplasty in 192 second-look arthroscopy were examined. We classified them into three groups based on the intensity of MRI : Low, Low+High, and High.Results : 17 patients underwent re-notchplasty because of contact between the ACL and notch, 33 patients because of poor coverage of the synovium, 13 patients because of partial tear of the ACL. Five patients continued to show high intensity (Low+High) that did not decrease after re-notchplasty. In contrast, seven impinged ACL grafts showed decreased signal intensity (Low) of the graft after re-notchplasty.Conclusions : Seven cases showed decreased intensity and were considered to have impingement at the notch, influencing the maturity process by decreasing compression on the reconstructed ACL.