The results of reconstruction of the anterior cruciate ligament with semitendinosus and gracilis tendons in chronic laxity of the knee.

The authors report the medium term results (41 months) in 88 patients submitted to surgery for reconstruction of the anterior cruciate ligament according to the method currently in use at our Clinic which uses the semitendinosus and gracilis tendons. The results were evaluated according to a score card method and in 28 patients a KT-1000 arthrometer was also used. The method gives a probability of full success in approximately 85% of cases, with significantly better results in patients not submitted to meniscectomy. A comparison with other methods of autogenous transplant and prosthetic substitution, even on the basis of the data provided by the KT-1000, still places the semitendinosus and gracilis method at the forefront.