Over the past decade, there has been a renewed interest in primary repair as a potential treatment for certain patterns of ACL rupture. The SwiveLock® ACL Repair Kit is the first comprehensive implant system designed to repair and internally brace the ACL. In biomechanical testing, this repair technique has been shown to provide comparable knee stability to ACL reconstruction techniques with bone-patellar tendon-bone (BTB) autografts.¹ Clinically, remnant-preserving ACL surgery has shown encouraging outcomes with a higher potential for early healing and better functional outcomes compared to reconstruction surgery.2,3

References

1. Chahla J, Nelson T, Dallo I, et al. Anterior cruciate ligament repair versus reconstruction: a kinematic analysis. Knee. 2020;27(2):334-340. doi:10.1016/j.knee.2019.10.020

2. van der List JP, Jonkergouw A, DiFelice GS. Failure and reoperation rates following arthroscopic primary repair versus reconstruction of the anterior cruciate ligament. Orthop J Sports Med. 2019;7(7suppl5):2325967119S00297. doi:10.1177/2325967119S00297

3. Heusdens CHW, Hopper GP, Dossche L, Roelant E, Mackay GM. Anterior cruciate ligament repair with Independent Suture Tape Reinforcement: a case series with 2-year follow-up. Knee Surg Sports Traumatol Arthrosc. 2019;27(1):60-67. doi:10.1007/s00167-018-5239-1