Unsuccessful regeneration of the semitendinosus tendon harvested for anterior cruciate ligament reconstruction: Report of two cases

SummaryRecent magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) and three-dimensional (3D) computed tomography (CT) analyses have demonstrated that semitendinosus tendon can regenerate at a high rate following harvesting the tendon for anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) reconstruction. Although it is known that the regeneration of the semitendinosus tendon does not occur in all the patients, the reason for this unsuccessful regeneration of the tendon in certain patients remains unknown. We recently encountered two cases in which regeneration of the semitendinosus tendon was unsuccessful because of apparent reasons. These patients experienced a sudden sharp pain in the posterior aspect of their thighs when their hamstring muscles were subjected to aggressive load at 3 and 4 weeks after surgery. At the follow-up examination conducted after 12 months, 3D CT imaging revealed unsuccessful regeneration of the semitendinosus tendons in both cases. Severe proximal retraction of the semitendinosus muscle belly was also confirmed.