Arthroscopic single-bundle posterior cruciate ligament reconstruction: Retrospective review of 4- versus 7-strand hamstring tendon graft

Various methods of posterior cruciate ligament (PCL) reconstruction have been reported. However the results have been unpredictable. This paper reports a retrospective comparative study of single-bundle PCL reconstruction comparing 22 patients who underwent 7-strand hamstring graft (7SHG) against 21 patients who had a 4-strand hamstring graft (4SHG). All had an isolated chronic PCL rupture. Suspension fixation was performed on both the femoral and tibial ends. The minimum follow-up time was 2 years. The outcome measures used were the International Knee Documentation Committee, Lysholm, and Tegner rating scales. Stability was improved in the 7SHG group when compared with the 4SHG group, with an average posterior laxity of 1.7 mm compared to 3.7 mm. The Lysholm and Tegner scores were also significantly improved. In reconstruction for isolated chronic PCL rupture using a single-bundle technique, 7SHG gave better results than 4SHG.