Comparative study of functional outcomes of arthroscopic ACL reconstruction by augmented hamstring graft with Fiber tape and hamstring graft alone: A prospective study

Background: Study is carried out to measure the additional effect of using Fiber-tape on functional outcome of anterior cruciate ligament tear managed by augmenting ACL reconstruction with Fiber tape. Methods: The standardised, Anterior Drawer test Lachman test, Pivot shift test, Lysholm knee score quantified in terms of the side-to-side difference in laxity both preoperatively and postoperatively.Result: The present study was conducted on patients with anterior cruciate ligament tear admitted in department of orthopaedics, King George’s Medical University, Lucknow. The present study had total of 50 subjects among which 25 were assigned in to two groups randomly, viz Group 1 of the treatment procedure – Quadruple hamstring graft alone and Group 2 of patients with augmented hamstring graft with fibertape. On comparing the improvement in grades at 12 weeks and 6 months follow-up, fiber group showed significantly more improvement compared with the non-fiber group. None of the cases in both the groups showed positive pivot shift test at 6 months follow up.Conclusion: In our study it was found that the improvement in grades of anterior drawer test and Lachman test in fibertape augmented group was significantly more than the non-augmented group at 12 weeks and 6 months. Follow up period of 6 months was a limiting factor in our study. This technique needs further clinical evaluation to assess the long term results and the effect of protection of the graft and also to study the clinical behavior of the resultant collagen fibertape.