ARTHROSCOPIC RECONSTRUCTION OF ANTERIOR CRUCIATE LIGAMENT OF KNEE JOINT USING AUTOGRAFTS OF M. SEMITENDINOSUS AND ENDONS OF M. GRACILIS – RESULTS OF 30 CASES

Abstract

Anterior cruciate ligament of knee joint is often dam- aged  in sportsmen  and  people,  engaged  in  an active  life. Among orthopedic operations the reconstruction of anterior cruciate ligament of knee joint appears to be one of the most frequent procedures. The post surgery results depend on the type of the operation, autograft, used during the surgery, fix- ation material, the state of menisci and cartilage, the patient’s age and weight, the mechanism of injury and, certainly, the factor of the surgeon. In recent years the operations have been conducted using the arthroscopic methods. During the period from January 24, 2013 to May 25, 2016 total of 30 operations were carried out on 29 patients at the Clinic “Aversi” – the reconstruction of anterior cruciate ligament of knee joint using autografts of m. semitendinosus and tendons of m. gracilis. Out of 29 patients were 5 womenand 24 men. The youngest age was 14 and the eldest – 43.  On one patient the operations were carried out on both knee joints with an interval of 6 months. Absolutely all of the pa- tients returned to the mode of life, which they had before the trauma. Proceeding from the data obtained, the ideal time for surgery was 3-6 weeks after the injury, when the knee was completely extended and edema was not observed. The status of the thigh muscles is very significant. For timely return to sport (in our case after 6-7 months) a full function- ally controlled rehabilitation-recovery has a particular im- portance. Also, a timely surgical treatment appears to be the best prevention for further injuries of menisci and cartilage. In our research the methods of treatment used in the surgical treatment and rehabilitation of sportsmen in Croatia were applied, particularly, for surgical treatment of football play- ers, as well as for postoperative rehabilitation.