Revision anterior cruciate ligament reconstruction: Causes of failure, surgical technique, and clinical results

Background: Revision of an anterior cruciate ligament reconstruction is a complicated and delicate clinical procedure whose results, theoretically, are less satisfactory than those of the first operation. Hypothesis: The outcome of a revised anterior cruciate ligament surgery is comparable to primary anterior cruciate ligament reconstruction, with a rate of success around 70% to 80%. Study Design: Case series; Level of evidence, 4. Methods: A total of 66 revisions of anterior cruciate ligament reconstructions were carried out from September 2000 to September 2004. Patients with concomitant instability and those with alterations in the weightbearing axis of the lower limbs were not included. Sixty patients were followed from 24 to 72 months: 50 clinically and 10 by a phone interview. Six patients were lost to follow-up due to changes of address. Results: Lysholm scores were 57% excellent (95-100 points), 13% good (84-94 points), 22% fair (63-83 points), and 8% poor (