Comparison of Fixed- and Variable-Loop Button Fixation in Arthroscopic Anterior Cruciate Ligament Reconstruction.

Introduction With the advent of fixed- and variable-loop suspensory fixation devices for arthroscopic anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) reconstruction, a maximum number of grafts can be placed within the femoral tunnel. Although several biomechanical studies have been conducted comparing these two devices, only a few comparative clinical studies are available. This study was conducted to compare the functional outcomes of arthroscopic ACL reconstruction using fixed-loop devices with those of variable-loop devices by determining their effect on graft laxity clinical assessment and patient-reported outcome scores. Methodology Out of 32 patients (27 males and five females) who underwent primary ACL reconstruction using tripled hamstring autograft, fixed- and variable-loop devices were used for 13 and 19 patients, respectively. Thirteen patients in each group were evaluated over a period of one year using the Lysholm knee score. Six patients in the variable-loop group had only six months of follow-up. Anterior drawer and Lachman tests were performed at six-month and one-year follow-ups, respectively. Results The mean ages of patients in the fixed- and variable-loop groups were 34.5[Formula: see text]11 and 34.1[Formula: see text]9.1 years, respectively. The Lysholm knee score at six weeks was fair in 7.7% of the patients in the fixed-loop group when compared to 52.6% of those in the variable-loop group (