Knee Surg Sports Traumatol Arthrosc. 2025 Sep 4. doi: 10.1002/ksa.70059. Online ahead of print.
ABSTRACT
PURPOSE: To determine the long-term risk of osteoarthritis following combined anterior cruciate ligament reconstruction (ACLR) and lateral extra-articular procedures (LEAP).
METHODS: A comprehensive search of multiple databases (EMBASE, OVID Medline, PubMed, Cochrane, and Scopus) was independently conducted by two reviewers according to PRISMA (Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses) guidelines. Studies reporting on the rates of osteoarthritis following primary, arthroscopic ACLR combined with LEAP and a minimum 5-year follow-up were eligible for inclusion. The primary outcome was the prevalence of moderate to severe radiographic arthritis defined as International Knee Documentation Committee (IKDC) grades C or D, Ahlback grades 1-5, or Kellgren-Lawrence grades 3 or 4. A comparative meta-analysis of ACLR with and without LEAP was also performed.
RESULTS: A total of eight studies were included, comprising 849 patients who underwent ACLR with LEAP, and 164 who underwent isolated ACLR. Cumulative meta-analysis showed a 4% prevalence of moderate to severe osteoarthritis across all studies after ACLR with LEAP. Subgroup analysis demonstrated a prevalence of 3% in the 5-to-10-year follow-up group and 6% in the 10+ year follow-up group. In the three comparative cohort studies, meta-analysis revealed no statistically significant difference in moderate to severe osteoarthritis rates between ACLR with LEAP and ACLR alone.
CONCLUSION: This study demonstrates that long-term prevalence of moderate to severe osteoarthritis following combined ACLR with LEAP is low, and that the addition of LEAP does not increase the incidence compared to ACLR alone. These findings support the use of LEAP in selected patients, without concern for increased long-term joint degeneration.
LEVEL OF EVIDENCE: Level III, meta-analysis and systematic review.
PMID:40905276 | DOI:10.1002/ksa.70059
