Review Question - QID 7673

Anatomic placement of the femoral tunnel is best achieved in this clinical scenario by drilling the femoral tunnel through the anteromedial portal or via a two-incision technique. Several recent studies have demonstrated the difficulty that may be encountered in restoring true ACL anatomy on the femoral side when placing a femoral tunnel through a transtibial technique. While this is not always the case and this technique may be reasonable and sufficient, it is important for orthopaedic surgeons to critically assess tunnel placement intraoperatively and postoperatively to minimize errant tunnel placement, demonstrated in the literature as the most common cause of ACL failure and need for revision. In this not uncommon clinical scenario, simply converting to a two-incision ACL technique or drilling through the anteromedial portal with the knee hyperflexed will permit accurate femoral tunnel placement and increase the likelihood of an optimal clinical outcome. Femoral tunnel accuracy with these techniques is enhanced by a lower starting point in the intercondylar notch. Familiarity with these techniques is valuable for surgeons performing ACL reconstruction. Revising the tibial tunnel in this scenario would likely lead to bone compromise of the proximal tibia and may interfere with graft fixation and incorporation. Converting to a double-bundle ACL with a transtibial technique would not correct the vertical femoral tunnel. Hyperflexion of the knee may improve femoral tunnel placement to some extent, but is unlikely to allow anatomic placement of a femoral tunnel when the transtibial guide lies in a clearly excessive vertical position.