Abstracts Posters SICOT-SOF meeting Gothenburg 2010 _2_

Poster
Topic: Sports Medicine - Knee
Abstract number: 25966
MRI FINDINGS OF GRAFTS AFTER ACL RECONSTRUCTION USING
HAMSTRING TENDONS
Takeshi KOMATSU, Hideki SAKANAKA, Hiroyuki GOTANI, Yoshihumi TAKAHASHI,
Koji TAMAI
Seikeikai Osaka Trauma and Microsurgery Center, Sakai (JAPAN)
We investigated the effecting factors for MRI findings of grafts after ACL
reconstruction using hamstring tendons. There were twenty-two knees (twenty
patients). We examined these MRI findings more than one year post-operation. The
signals of ligaments’ mid-substance on sagittal planes parallel to the ACL were
examined, and we considered the causes efecting the difference of signals. T1 -
weighted imaging showed 11 knees of intermediate, 4 knees of low, and 7 knees of
inhomogenous low signal intensity. T2 -weighted imaging showed 14 knees of low,
and 8 knees of inhomogenous low signal intensity; 2 knees examined showed a
positive pivot shift test for both intermediate signal intensity on T1 - weighted images,
and on inhomogenous low signal intensity on T2 -weighted images, while others
came up with various findings. Factors such as period of reconstruction, the
thickness of grafts, age, sex, combined injury, and sports activity had no relation to
the signals. The grafts with same signals from normal ACL all had good stability, and
all of the unstable knees showed abnormal signal intensity. However, the cases
showing abnormal signal intensity also included stable knees. We can only speculate
that the changes in MRI signals are a result of the various states of grafts healing,
and can conclude the difference in signals had no relation to the clinical results and
sports activities.
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