J Knee Surg 2024; 37(14): 925-932
DOI: 10.1055/a-2368-3739
Original Article

Articular Cartilage Damage in the Patellofemoral Compartment at ACL Reconstruction Predicts Poor Postoperative Subjective Outcomes in Patients Age 40 and Older

Ayato Miyamoto
1   Department of Orthopaedic Surgery, Matsuyama Shimin Hospital, Matsuyama, Japan
,
Atsuo Nakamae
2   Department of Orthopaedic Surgery, Graduate School of Biomedical and Health Sciences, Hiroshima University, Hiroshima, Japan
,
Kazuhiro Tsukisaka
3   Department of Orthopaedic Surgery, Mazda Hospital, Hiroshima, Japan
,
Masataka Deie
4   Department of Orthopaedic Surgery, Hiroshima City Hospital, Hiroshima, Japan
,
Eisaku Fujimoto
5   Department of Orthopaedic Surgery, Chugoku Rosai Hospital, Hiroshima, Japan
,
Yoshinori Soda
4   Department of Orthopaedic Surgery, Hiroshima City Hospital, Hiroshima, Japan
,
Ryo Shimizu
6   Department of Orthopaedic Surgery, JA Onomichi General Hospital, Hiroshima, Japan
,
Nobuo Adachi
2   Department of Orthopaedic Surgery, Graduate School of Biomedical and Health Sciences, Hiroshima University, Hiroshima, Japan
› Author Affiliations
Funding None.

Abstract

The purpose of this study was to investigate factors that influence clinical outcomes after anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) reconstruction in patients aged ≥40 years. We studied 264 patients aged ≥40 and 154 patients aged ≤20 years who underwent ACL reconstruction at several surgical centers. A logistic regression analysis was conducted to identify factors that influenced the Knee Injury and Osteoarthritis Outcome Score (KOOS) at 1 year post-ACL reconstruction. In the older patient group, cartilage damage in the patellofemoral compartment at surgery was a significant risk factor for poor postoperative KOOS subscores (pain, activities of daily living [ADL], sports, and quality of life [QOL]). Articular cartilage damage in the lateral compartment also significantly influenced one of the postoperative KOOS subscores (symptoms). In the younger patient group, articular cartilage damage in any compartments did not influence the postoperative KOOS subscores; only two preoperative KOOS subscores (symptoms and QOL) significantly influenced their postoperative KOOS subscores. We concluded that the articular cartilage damage in the patellofemoral compartment at ACL reconstruction predicts poor KOOS subscores at the 1-year follow-up in patients aged ≥40 years.

Study Design Cohort study (Prevalence); Level of evidence, 2.

Ethics Approval

The current study was reviewed and approved by each participating site's respective institutional review board (code: E-1178).


Availability of Data and Material

The data used in the study are available from the corresponding author upon request.




Publication History

Received: 04 July 2023

Accepted: 16 July 2024

Accepted Manuscript online:
17 July 2024

Article published online:
02 August 2024

© 2024. Thieme. All rights reserved.

Thieme Medical Publishers, Inc.
333 Seventh Avenue, 18th Floor, New York, NY 10001, USA

 
  • References

  • 1 Arbuthnot JE, Brink RB. The role of anterior cruciate ligament reconstruction in the older patients, 55 years or above. Knee Surg Sports Traumatol Arthrosc 2010; 18 (01) 73-78
  • 2 Osti L, Papalia R, Del Buono A, Leonardi F, Denaro V, Maffulli N. Surgery for ACL deficiency in patients over 50. Knee Surg Sports Traumatol Arthrosc 2011; 19 (03) 412-417
  • 3 Panisset J-C, Gonzalez J-F, de Lavigne C. et al; French Arthroscopic Society. ACL reconstruction in over-50 year-olds: comparative study between prospective series of over-50 year-old and under-40 year-old patients. Orthop Traumatol Surg Res 2019; 105 (8S): S259-S265
  • 4 Cinque ME, Chahla J, Moatshe G. et al. Outcomes and complication rates after primary anterior cruciate ligament reconstruction are similar in younger and older patients. Orthop J Sports Med 2017; 5 (10) 2325967117729659
  • 5 Iorio R, Iannotti F, Ponzo A. et al. Anterior cruciate ligament reconstruction in patients older than fifty years: a comparison with a younger age group. Int Orthop 2018; 42 (05) 1043-1049
  • 6 Brambilla L, Pulici L, Carimati G. et al. Prevalence of associated lesions in anterior cruciate ligament reconstruction: correlation with surgical timing and with patient age, sex, and body mass index. Am J Sports Med 2015; 43 (12) 2966-2973
  • 7 Brophy RH, Wright RW, David TS. et al; Multicenter ACL Revision Study (MARS) Group. Association between previous meniscal surgery and the incidence of chondral lesions at revision anterior cruciate ligament reconstruction. Am J Sports Med 2012; 40 (04) 808-814
  • 8 Kluczynski MA, Marzo JM, Bisson LJ. Factors associated with meniscal tears and chondral lesions in patients undergoing anterior cruciate ligament reconstruction: a prospective study. Am J Sports Med 2013; 41 (12) 2759-2765
  • 9 Takeda T, Matsumoto H, Fujikawa K. Influence of secondary damage to menisci and articular cartilage on return to sports after anterior cruciate ligament reconstruction. J Orthop Sci 1997; 2: 215-221
  • 10 Fayard JM, Wein F, Ollivier M. et al; French Arthroscopic Society. Factors affecting outcome of ACL reconstruction in over-50-year-olds. Orthop Traumatol Surg Res 2019; 105 (8S): S247-S251
  • 11 Trojani C, Sané J-C, Coste J-S, Boileau P. Four-strand hamstring tendon autograft for ACL reconstruction in patients aged 50 years or older. Orthop Traumatol Surg Res 2009; 95 (01) 22-27
  • 12 Barber FA, Aziz-Jacobo J, Oro FB. Anterior cruciate ligament reconstruction using patellar tendon allograft: an age-dependent outcome evaluation. Arthroscopy 2010; 26 (04) 488-493
  • 13 Ovigue J, Bouguennec N, Graveleau N. Arthroscopic anterior cruciate ligament reconstruction is a reliable option to treat knee instability in patients over 50 years old. Knee Surg Sports Traumatol Arthrosc 2020; 28 (11) 3686-3693
  • 14 Mall NA, Frank RM, Saltzman BM, Cole BJ, Bach Jr BR. Results after anterior cruciate ligament reconstruction in patients older 40 years: how do they compare with younger patients? a systematic review and comparison with younger populations. Sports Health 2016; 8 (02) 177-181
  • 15 Kinugasa K, Mae T, Matsumoto N, Nakagawa S, Yoneda M, Shino K. Effect of patient age on morphology of anterior cruciate ligament grafts at second-look arthroscopy. Arthroscopy 2011; 27 (01) 38-45
  • 16 Ventura A, Legnani C, Terzaghi C, Borgo E. Single- and double-bundle anterior cruciate ligament reconstruction in patients aged over 50 years. Arthroscopy 2012; 28 (11) 1702-1709
  • 17 Wolfson TS, Epstein DM, Day MS. et al. Outcomes of anterior cruciate ligament reconstruction in patients older than 50 years of age. Bull Hosp Jt Dis 2014; 72 (04) 277-283
  • 18 Beletsky A, Naami E, Lu Y. et al. The minimally clinically important difference and substantial clinical benefit in anterior cruciate ligament reconstruction: a time-to-achievement analysis. Orthopedics 2021; 44 (05) 299-305
  • 19 Barenius B, Forssblad M, Engström B, Eriksson K. Functional recovery after anterior cruciate ligament reconstruction, a study of health-related quality of life based on the Swedish National Knee Ligament Register. Knee Surg Sports Traumatol Arthrosc 2013; 21 (04) 914-927
  • 20 Røtterud JH, Risberg MA, Engebretsen L, Årøen A. Patients with focal full-thickness cartilage lesions benefit less from ACL reconstruction at 2-5 years follow-up. Knee Surg Sports Traumatol Arthrosc 2012; 20 (08) 1533-1539
  • 21 Shelbourne KD, Jari S, Gray T. Outcome of untreated traumatic articular cartilage defects of the knee: a natural history study. J Bone Joint Surg Am 2003; 85-A (Suppl. 02) 8-16
  • 22 Cox CL, Huston LJ, Dunn WR. et al. Are articular cartilage lesions and meniscus tears predictive of IKDC, KOOS, and Marx activity level outcomes after anterior cruciate ligament reconstruction? A 6-year multicenter cohort study. Am J Sports Med 2014; 42 (05) 1058-1067
  • 23 Dunn WR, Wolf BR, Harrell Jr FE, Reinke EK, Huston LJ, Spindler KP. MOON Knee Group. Baseline predictors of health-related quality of life after anterior cruciate ligament reconstruction: a longitudinal analysis of a multicenter cohort at two and six years. J Bone Joint Surg Am 2015; 97 (07) 551-557
  • 24 Wasserstein D, Huston LJ, Nwosu S. et al; MOON Group. KOOS pain as a marker for significant knee pain two and six years after primary ACL reconstruction: a Multicenter Orthopaedic Outcomes Network (MOON) prospective longitudinal cohort study. Osteoarthritis Cartilage 2015; 23 (10) 1674-1684
  • 25 Gudas R, Gudaitė A, Mickevičius T. et al. Comparison of osteochondral autologous transplantation, microfracture, or debridement techniques in articular cartilage lesions associated with anterior cruciate ligament injury: a prospective study with a 3-year follow-up. Arthroscopy 2013; 29 (01) 89-97
  • 26 McAllister DR, Foster B, Martin DE. et al. Outcome of chronic isolated anterior cruciate ligament reconstruction. J Knee Surg 2014; 27 (05) 383-392
  • 27 Spindler KP, Warren TA, Callison Jr JC, Secic M, Fleisch SB, Wright RW. Clinical outcome at a minimum of five years after reconstruction of the anterior cruciate ligament. J Bone Joint Surg Am 2005; 87 (08) 1673-1679
  • 28 Wang H-J, Ao Y-F, Jiang D. et al. Relationship between quadriceps strength and patellofemoral joint chondral lesions after anterior cruciate ligament reconstruction. Am J Sports Med 2015; 43 (09) 2286-2292
  • 29 Van de Velde SK, Gill TJ, DeFrate LE, Papannagari R, Li G. The effect of anterior cruciate ligament deficiency and reconstruction on the patellofemoral joint. Am J Sports Med 2008; 36 (06) 1150-1159
  • 30 Nakamae A, Miyamoto A, Kamei G. et al. An older age, a longer duration between injury and surgery, and positive pivot shift test results increase the prevalence of articular cartilage injury during ACL reconstruction in all three compartments of the knee in patients with ACL injuries. Knee Surg Sports Traumatol Arthrosc 2021
  • 31 Sri-Ram K, Salmon LJ, Pinczewski LA, Roe JP. The incidence of secondary pathology after anterior cruciate ligament rupture in 5086 patients requiring ligament reconstruction. Bone Joint J 2013; 95-B (01) 59-64
  • 32 Widuchowski W, Widuchowski J, Koczy B, Szyluk K. Untreated asymptomatic deep cartilage lesions associated with anterior cruciate ligament injury: results at 10- and 15-year follow-up. Am J Sports Med 2009; 37 (04) 688-692