Outcomes of an Anatomic Posterolateral Knee Reconstruction

BACKGROUND: Chronic posterolateral knee injuries often result in substantial patient morbidity and functional instability. The clinical stability and functional outcomes following anatomic reconstructions in patients with a chronic posterolateral knee injury have not been determined, to our knowledge. METHODS: A two-center outcomes study of sixty-four patients with grade-3 chronic posterolateral instability was performed. The patients were evaluated subjectively with the modified Cincinnati and International Knee Documentation Committee (IKDC) subjective scores and objectively with the IKDC objective score. RESULTS: Eighteen patients had an isolated posterolateral knee reconstruction, and forty-six patients underwent a single-stage multiple-ligament reconstruction that included reconstruction of one or both cruciate ligaments along with the posterolateral knee reconstruction. The average duration of follow-up was 4.3 years. The fifty-four patients who were available for follow-up had an average total Cincinnati score of 65.7 points. A significant improvement was found between the preoperative and postoperative IKDC objective scores for varus opening at 20 degrees, external rotation at 30 degrees, reverse pivot shift, and single-leg hop. CONCLUSIONS: An anatomic posterolateral reconstruction resulted in improved clinical outcomes and objective stability for patients with a grade-3 posterolateral knee injury.