Complications associated with the techniques for anterior cruciate ligament reconstruction in patients under 18 years old: a systematic review.

OBJECTIVE: Determine the complications related to the different techniques for anterior cruciate ligament reconstruction in patients under 18 years old.

METHODOLOGY: Systematic review using the databases Medline, Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews and Embase (until July 2016), additional studies were included conducting a search of the references of previous studies. The terms included in the search were: «cruciate», «ligament», «anterior», «immature», «complications», «outcome», «acl reconstruction»,« cruciate ligament anterior reconstruction», «children», «child», «infants», «adolescent», «open physis», «growth plate» and «skeletally immature».

RESULTS: A number of 73 studies were included; 1300 patients in total, average age 13 years, 70% were male, medial and lateral meniscal lesions in 26% and 30% respectively. Eleven cases of length discrepancy (0,8%): 4 cases were presented with physeal-sparing techniques (1,4%), 3 cases with partial physeal-sparing techniques (2.2%) and 4 cases were presented with transphyseal techniques (0.4%). There were 22 cases of axis deviation: 6 cases with physeal-sparing techniques (2%), 3 cases with partial physeal-sparing techniques and 13 cases with transphyseal techniques (1.4%). The use of allograft achilles tendon allograft and fascia lata was associated with increased length discrepancy and axis deviation (25%). There was no difference according to Tanner.

CONCLUSIONS: The different anterior cruciate ligament reconstruction techniques in patients under 18 years old had low complications related to lower limb growth, arthrofibrosis and review. There was a higher percentage of cases of length discrepancy and axis deviation with physeal-sparing techniques than with the other surgical techniques. The evidence level studies cannot determine causality.