Summary

To evaluate whether preoperative measurements enable prediction of the size of semitendinosus (ST) and gracilis (GT) tendons autograft for double-bundle anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) reconstruction.

Abstract

Objective

To evaluate whether preoperative measurements enable prediction of the size of semitendinosus (ST) and gracilis (GT) tendons autograft for double-bundle anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) reconstruction.
Materials and Methods. From January 2009 November to march 2011, 235 patients submitted to double-bundle ACL reconstruction using ST and GT autograft. Preoperatively we recorded height, weight, body mass index (BMI), gender and age. During surgery, the diameter of both the ST and GT were measured. Multiple regression analysis was used to determine relationships among clinical measurements and intraoperatively measured ST and GT graft diameter. Independent sample t tests were used to compare ST and GT graft diameter between genders.
Results. The diameter of the ST and GT graft was related to height (r=0.410,P<0.05;r=0.256,P<0.05),weight (r=0.459,P<0.05;r=0.310,P<0.05),BMI (r=0.341,P<0.05;r=0.237,P<0.05). No correlation was found between the graft diameter and age. In comparison to men, women had significantly smaller ST and GT graft diameters,(7.59±0.6 mm,6.82±0.6 mm),(5.99 ±0.6 mm,5.77±0.5 mm) respectively. ST graft diameter are significantly larger than GT graft (7.4±0.68,5.9±0.52 mm).
Conclusions. Weight, height, and BMI can be used as the effective predictors of the diameter of the ST and GT graft. Common clinical measurements can be used for preoperative identification of patients at risk for insufficient graft diameter and alternative graft sources can then be chosen and made available prior to surgery.
Keywords: semitendinosus tendon; gracilis tendon; autograft; anthropometric; correlation; size.