A Prospective Randomized Study of Anterior Cruciate Ligament Reconstruction With Autograft, γ-Irradiated Allograft, and Hybrid Graft

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102 patients with ACL tears were randomized to receive ACL reconstruction with either an autograft, hybrid graft, or a gamma-irradiated allograft. The purpose of the study was to determine how these patients compared in terms laboratory results in the first month after surgery, and clinical and functional outcomes at 5 year follow-up. Laboratory results indicated that C-reactive protein and erythrocyte sedimentation values were higher in the y-irradiated allograft group at multiple time points over the first two postoperative weeks. Functional results at a minimum of 5 years postoperatively demonstrated significantly lower anteroposterior knee laxity (KT-1000 arthrometer) in the autograft and hybrid graft groups compared to the allograft group. All groups were similar in terms of all other subjective and objective clinical and functional outcome measures.