Use of the Semitendinosus Tendon for Anterior Cruciate Ligament Reconstruction

Abstract

Although the patellar tendon provides a graft material whose value is widely acknowledged, the following arguments can be advanced for use of the semitendinosus tendon:

• Operative removal of the semitendinosus tendon has fewer deleterious effects.

• The thin, regular cross section of the graft allows for simple arthroscopic placement. A notch plasty is usually not required.

• The thin cross section facilitates graft nutrition by the diffusion of synovial fluid, reducing the risk of necrosis until the graft is revascularized.

• Clinical and laboratory tests have shown that the semitendinosus graft is at least equivalent to the patellar tendon graft in its biomechanical properties.