Histologic Presentation of Achilles Allograft 11 Years After Its Use in Posterior Cruciate Ligament Reconstruction

Abstract not available. Introduction provided instead.

Use of allografts for cruciate ligament reconstruction in the knee is increasing in popularity, but graft selection remains controversial. There is a dearth of information on long-term outcomes of allografts for cruciate reconstruction. Allografts are particularly useful in posterior cruciate ligament (PCL) reconstructive surgery because this procedure is often performed with concomitant ligament reconstructions.¹ In these situations, the supply of allografts may be inadequate. In addition, depending on the fixation method, autografts (eg, bone–patella tendon–bone, hamstring) may not be long enough for PCL reconstruction.

Several investigators have reported favorable clinical outcomes with use of allografts in PCL reconstruction. Not well documented, however, are the long-term histologic outcomes of allografts used for ligament reconstruction and the ability of allografts to fully incorporate into host tissue. Although several investigators have documented histologic analyses of allografts used for anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) reconstructions, there has not been the same emphasis on PCL allografts.^2-5 We are unaware of any previous reports on the long–term in vivo histologic presentation of tendon allografts used for PCL reconstruction. In addition, there are no such longterm histologic studies of allograft incorporation for any ligament reconstruction. In the present study, described here, we performed a histologic analysis of a freeze-dried Achilles tendon allograft harvested 11 years after it was used for PCL reconstruction.