Similar Outcomes After Osteochondral Allograft Transplantation in Anterior Cruciate Ligament-Intact and -Reconstructed Knees: A Comparative Matched-Group Analysis With Minimum 2-Year Follow-Up

To compare failure rates and clinical outcomes of osteochondral allograft transplantation (OCA) in anterior cruciate ligament (ACL)-intact versus ACL-reconstructed knees at midterm follow-up.

After a priori power analysis, a prospective registry of patients treated with OCA for focal chondral lesions ≥2 cm² in size with minimum 2-year follow-up was used to match ACL-reconstructed knees with ACL-intact knees by age, sex, and primary chondral defect location. Exclusion criteria included meniscus transplantation, realignment osteotomy, or other ligamentous injury. Complications, reoperations, and patient responses to validated outcome measures were reviewed. Failure was defined by any procedure involving allograft removal/revision or conversion to arthroplasty. Kaplan-Meier analysis and multivariate Cox regression were performed to evaluate the association of ACL reconstruction (ACLR) with failure.

A total of 50 ACL-intact and 25 ACL-reconstructed (18 prior, 7 concomitant) OCA patients were analyzed. The mean age was 36.2 years (range, 14-62 years). Mean follow-up was 3.9 years (range, 2-14 years). Patient demographics and chondral lesion characteristics were similar between groups. ACL-reconstructed patients averaged 2.2 ± 1.9 prior surgeries on the ipsilateral knee compared with 1.4 ± 1.4 surgeries for ACL-intact patients (P = .014). Grafts used for the last ACLR included bone-patellar tendon-bone autograft, hamstring autograft, Achilles tendon allograft, and tibialis allograft (data available for only 11 of 25 patients). At final follow-up, 22% of ACL-intact and 32% of ACL-reconstructed patients had undergone reoperation. OCA survivorship was 90% and 96% at 2 years and 79% and 85% at 5 years in ACL-intact and ACL-reconstructed patients, respectively (P = .774). ACLR was not independently associated with failure. Both groups demonstrated clinically significant improvements in the Short Form-36 pain and physical functioning, International Knee Documentation Committee subjective, and Knee Outcome Survey—Activities of Daily Living scores at final follow-up (P < .001), with no significant differences in preoperative, postoperative, and change scores between groups.

OCA in the setting of prior or concomitant ACLR does not portend higher failure rates or compromise clinical outcomes.

Level III, retrospective comparative study.