Abstract
To evaluate the usefulness of a patellar tendon autograf t with double bifurcated ends for reconstruction of a functional anterior crucial ligament ( ACL), we performed a histologic examination in the dog knee after grafting. The graft was fixed by 4 points (the 2 upper ends were in the femur and 2 lower ends were in the tibia) and was finally arranged in the shape of an X. The X-shaped graft resulted in the formation of two main collagen bundles-an anteriormedial bundle and a posteriorlateral bundle-in the normal ACL ligament. Therefore, we designated this method“double-bundle reconstruction”. Histologic examination revealed that the double collagen bundles in the graft grew and matured successively in the year after operation. Furthermore, angiogenesis throughout the grafts occurred rapidly with in 1 month after double-bundle reconstruction, whereas grafts that had been implanted as a plain, single bundle gradually received blood supply from the periphery to the center by 3 months after operation. Thus, these results indicate that our double-bundle reconstruction is more useful for forming a functional ACL ligament.
