Evaluation of 3 Fixation Devices for Tibial-Sided Anterior Cruciate Ligament Graft Backup Fixation

We conducted a study to biomechanically evaluate 3 methods of tibial-sided fixation for anterior cruciate ligament reconstruction: fully threaded interference screw only, interference screw backed with 4.75-mm SwiveLock anchor, and fully threaded bio-interference screw backed with 4.5-mm bicortical screw (all Arthrex).

Thirty skeletally mature porcine tibiae were used. The first group was prepared by graft fixation within the tibial tunnel using only an interference screw. The second and third groups included an interference screw with 2 types of secondary fixation: 4.5-mm bicortical post and SwiveLock anchor. Mechanical testing consisted of 500 cycles between 50 and 250 N at 1 Hz, followed by a pull to failure conducted at 20 mm per minute.

Ultimate load-to-failure testing demonstrated the largest mean (SD) load tolerated in the post/washer group, 1148 (186) N, versus the SwiveLock group, 1007 (176) N, and the screw-only group, 778 (139) N. There was no statistical difference between the 2 backup fixation groups.

Use of a SwiveLock anchor as backup fixation at the tibial side in soft-tissue anterior cruciate ligament reconstruction is a safe, effective alternative to a bicortical post and provides statistically equivalent pullout strength with unlikely requirement for future hardware removal.