AANA/ISAKOS Knee and Shoulder Arthroscopy Course-Online Didactics (April 2024)-ACL Repair Controversy

ACL Repair Controversy_ Contemporary Techniques and Results

Video Transcription

Video Summary

Dr. Greg DeFelice presented his 12 years of experience with ACL primary repair for proximal ACL ruptures, emphasizing a tailored approach rather than a one-size-fits-all reconstruction. He discussed historical challenges, noting proximal tears have better healing potential due to superior blood supply. Modern techniques, including his internally braced suture-anchor method, show promising outcomes with about 11% failure rates, lower in patients over 22 years. Return-to-sport rates parallel reconstruction, and repair patients report better knee awareness. DeFelice advocates assessing MRI tear patterns and cautious patient selection, especially in younger athletes, promoting ACL repair with internal bracing as a low-risk, high-reward option.

Keywords

ACL primary repair

proximal ACL ruptures

internally braced suture-anchor

return-to-sport rates

MRI tear pattern assessment