• age
• body mass index
• growth factors
• platelet concentration
• platelet‐rich plasma
• sex

• acl repair
• anterior cruciate ligament (acl)
• anterior cruciate ligament (acl) reconstruction
• evidence-based
• orthopaedics trauma

• PRP
• biology
• collagen
• ligament
• platelet rich plasma
• tendon

• Animals
• Humans
• Tendons
• Collagen
• Ligaments
• Platelet-Rich Plasma/physiology
• Biological Products

• ACL
• biomaterial-guided gene transfer
• gene therapy
• injuries
• tissue engineering

• Humans
• Anterior Cruciate Ligament Injuries/genetics
• Anterior Cruciate Ligament Injuries/therapy
• Anterior Cruciate Ligament/surgery
• Knee Joint

• Anterior cruciate ligament
• Clinical outcome
• Image evaluation
• Platelet-rich plasma
• Randomized controlled trials

• Anterior Cruciate Ligament Injuries/surgery
• Anterior Cruciate Ligament Reconstruction/methods
• Humans
• Knee Joint
• Platelet-Rich Plasma
• Randomized Controlled Trials as Topic
• Treatment Outcome

Background: Knee examination guidelines in minors are intended to aid decision-making in the management of knee instability. Clinical question: A Delphi study was conducted with a formal consensus process using a validated methodology with sufficient scientific evidence. A group consensus meeting was held to develop recommendations and practical guidelines for use in the assessment of instability injuries in children. Key findings: there is a lack of evidence to analyse anterior cruciate ligament injuries in children and their subsequent surgical management if necessary. Diagnostic guidelines and clinical assessment of the patient based on a thorough examination of the knee are performed and a guide to anterior cruciate ligament exploration in children is developed. Clinical application: In the absence of a strong evidence base, these established guidelines are intended to assist in that decision-making process to help the clinician decide on the most optimal treatment with the aim of benefiting the patient as much as possible. Following this expert consensus, surgical treatment is advised when the patient has a subjective sensation of instability accompanied by a pivot shift test ++, and may include an anterior drawer test + and a Lachman test +. If these conditions are not present, the conservative approach should be chosen, as the anatomical and functional development of children, together with a physiotherapy programme, may improve the evolution of the injury.

• Anterior cruciate ligament
• Diagnoses and examinations
• Sports injuries
• Knee
• Injury to minors

Despite the existence of many clinical studies on platelet-rich plasma (PRP) interventions for ligamentous pathology, basic science consensus regarding the indications, mechanisms, and optimal composition of PRP for treating ligament injuries is lacking.

To (1) compare the efficacy of PRP in animal models of ligament injury with placebo and (2) describe the potential variability in PRP preparation using accepted classification systems.

Systematic review.

The Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews, Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials, PubMed, Embase, and Ovid MEDLINE were queried in April 2020 for in vivo and in vitro basic science studies regarding PRP use for ligament injury. Study design, results, PRP composition, and analyzed cellular and molecular markers were extracted, and outcomes relative to control models were documented. Bias was assessed using the SYRCLE risk-of-bias tool.

Included were 43 articles (31 in vivo and 12 in vitro studies) investigating the anterior cruciate ligament/cranial cruciate ligament (n = 32), medial collateral ligament (n = 6), suspensory ligament (n = 3), patellar ligament (n = 1), and Hock ligament (n = 1). Platelet concentration was reported in 34 studies (77.3%); leukocyte composition, in 12 (27.3%); and red blood cell counts, in 7 (15.9%). With PRP treatment, 5 of 12 in vitro studies demonstrated significant increases in cell viability, 6 of 12 in gene expression, 14 of 32 in vivo studies reported superior ligament repair via histological evaluation, and 13 in vivo studies reported superior mechanical properties. Variability in PRP preparation methods was observed across all articles, and only 1 study reported all necessary information to be classified by the 4 schemes we used to evaluate reporting. Among the in vivo studies, detection and performance bias were consistently high, whereas selection, attrition, reporting, and other biases were consistently low.

Conflicting data on the cellular and molecular effects of PRP for ligament injuries were observed secondary to the finding that included studies were heterogeneous, limiting interpretation across studies and the ability to draw meaningful conclusions. Clinical trials and any causal relationship between PRP use in ligament injuries and its potential for regeneration and healing should be pursued with caution if based solely on basic science data.

• ACL reconstruction
• ACL repair
• biologics
• platelet-rich plasma
• stem cells

The anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) of the knee joint is one of the strongest ligaments of the body and is often the target of traumatic injuries. Unfortunately, its healing potential is limited, and the surgical options for its replacement are frequently associated with clinical issues. A bioengineered ACL (bACL) was developed using a collagen matrix, seeded with autologous cells and successfully grafted and integrated into goat knee joints. We hypothesize that, in order to reduce the cost and simplify the model, an acellular bACL can be used as a substitute for a torn ACL, and bone plugs can be replaced by endobuttons to fix the bACL in situ. First, acellular bACLs were successfully grafted in the goat model with 18% recovery of ultimate tensile strength 6 months after implantation (94 N/mm² vs. 520). Second, a bACL with endobuttons was produced and tested in an exvivo bovine knee model. The natural collagen scaffold of the bACL contributes to supporting host cell migration, growth and differentiation in situ post-implantation. Bone plugs were replaced by endobuttons to design a second generation of bACLs that offer more versatility as biocompatible grafts for torn ACL replacement in humans. A robust collagen bACL will allow solving therapeutic issues currently encountered by orthopedic surgeons such as donor-site morbidity, graft failure and post-traumatic osteoarthritis.

• anterior cruciate ligament
• bone plug
• collagen
• endobutton
• goat model

• ACL reconstruction
• ACL repair
• anterior cruciate ligament
• bridge-enhanced ACL repair
• clinical trial
• platelet
• posttraumatic osteoarthritis
• scaffold-enhanced ACL repair
• tissue engineering

• Bibliometric analysis
• CiteSpace
• Orthopaedics
• Platelet-rich plasma

• anterior cruciate ligament
• goat
• in vivo
• kinematics
• knee

The use of autologous orthobiologics is an emerging area of interest in veterinary medicine. In this retrospective study, we reviewed the clinical results achieved using two orthobiologics devices to address orthopedic injuries and tissue repair. Leukocyte (White blood cell)-rich platelet-rich plasma (L-PRP) devices produce outputs containing high concentrations of growth factors from venous blood. The Autologous Protein Solution (APS) device produces an orthobiologic containing high concentrations of growth factors and anti-inflammatory cytokines. L-PRP has commonly been used to address soft tissue injuries. APS has been injected into the joint to address osteoarthritis. In the last five years, our practice has treated 35 dogs (38 treatments) with L-PRP and 98 dogs (108 treatments) with APS. Our group has used L-PRP and APS to address orthopedic conditions including osteoarthritis, bursitis, tendinitis, tendon/ligament rupture/repair procedures, post-surgical femoral head osteotomy/tibial-plateau-leveling osteotomy tissue repair, lumbosacral stenosis, patellar luxation, joint laxity, and osteochondral dissecans. The results achieved with L-PRP and APS have been favorable (observed pain improvement and minimal adverse reactions), but sometimes have not achieved complete pain relief or tissue repair. The most common application for L-PRP was patellar luxation and the most common application for APS was injection post-ACL surgery. Canine OA has been successfully managed in several patients with repeat injections of APS over the course of several years. Future studies on specific conditions are ongoing and including efforts to further characterize these products in canine medicine.

• APS
• PRP
• anti-inflammatory
• canine
• orthopedics
• osteoarthritis

• Anterior Cruciate Ligament
• Bridge-Enhanced ACL Repair
• Fibrin
• Ligament Healing
• Platelet-Rich Plasma

• R01 AR071985 NIAMS NIH HHS
• R01 HL146701 NHLBI NIH HHS

• ACL
• ACL reconstruction
• ACL repair
• MRI reliability
• anterior cruciate ligament repair

• CXCR4
• DDR2
• SDF-1
• asporin
• gut-microbiome
• leptin
• osteoarthritis

• bone
• cartilage
• fibrocartilage
• ligament
• progenitor cell
• regeneration
• skeletal tissue repair
• stem cell
• tendon

• R21 AR077326 NIAMS NIH HHS

Meniscus repair is a challenge for a practitioner, as an injured meniscus can lead to osteoarthritic joint changes with a greatly disabling outcome. Platelet-rich plasma has been regarded as a promising therapy to help induce healing. The purpose of the study is to clinically assess the effectiveness of PRP treatment in adolescents with meniscal lesions.

This retrospective study analyzed 30 patients with meniscal tears, aged 12 to 17 years, who had documented MRI meniscal lesion and persistent knee pain. In order to evaluate the outcome, the Lysholm knee scoring scale and numerical rating scale were used before injection and 3 months after treatment.

Patients had a mean age of 13.93 years, 70% girls and 30% boys. The most affected was the medial meniscus. The mean value before injection on the numerical rating scale (NRS) of pain was 7.73, after the treatment being of 2.0. After treatment, 76.7% of the patients had “excellent” and “good” outcomes, while before injection, just 3% of the patients had a “good” score.

Platelet-rich plasma treatment can be effective in improving the clinical outcomes of adolescent patients with meniscus tears, for whom conservative management and physical therapy have failed to achieve pain relief.

• ACL reconstruction
• ACL repair
• ACL surgery
• anterior cruciate ligament
• biological augmentation
• knee ligament reconstruction
• orthopedics/rehabilitation/occupational therapy

• ACL reconstruction
• ACL repair
• BEAR
• anterior cruciate ligament
• bridge-enhanced ACL repair
• human
• scaffold-enhanced ACL repair

• Future
• Orthobiologics
• PRP
• Stem cells

• Bridge-enhanced ACL repair
• Dynamic intraligamentary stabilization
• Internal brace
• Literature review
• Primary ACL repair
• Suture anchors

• ACL
• anterior cruciate ligament
• internal bracing
• repair
• systematic review

• Achilles tendinopathy
• PRP
• anterior cruciate ligament
• biologics
• injection therapy
• lateral epicondylitis
• meta-analysis
• patellar tendon
• platelet-rich plasma
• rotator cuff
• systematic review
• tendinopathy

Dogs are commonly affected with cruciate ligament rupture (CR) and associated osteoarthritis (OA), and frequently develop a second contralateral CR. Platelet rich plasma (PRP) is a component of whole blood that contains numerous growth factors, which in combination with a collagen scaffold may act to promote bioenhanced primary repair of ligament. This study tested the hypothesis that treatment of partial stable CR stifles with an intra-articular collagen scaffold and PRP would decrease the disease progression, synovitis and risk of complete CR over a 12-month study period. We conducted a prospective cohort study of 29 client-owned dogs with an unstable stifle due to complete CR and stable contralateral stifle with partial CR. All dogs were treated with tibial plateau leveling osteotomy (TPLO) on the unstable stifle and a single intra-articular application of PRP-collagen in the stable partial CR stifle. Dogs were evaluated at the time of diagnosis, and at 10-weeks and 12-months after treatment. We evaluated correlation between both development of complete CR and time to complete CR with diagnostic tests including bilateral stifle radiographs, 3.0 Tesla magnetic resonance (MR) imaging, and bilateral stifle arthroscopy. Additionally, histologic evaluation of synovial biopsies, C-reactive protein (CRP) concentrations in serum and synovial fluid, and synovial total nucleated cell count, were determined. Results indicated that a single application of PRP-collagen in partial CR stifles of client owned dogs is not an effective disease-modifying therapy for the prevention of progression to complete CR. Radiographic effusion, arthroscopic evaluation of cranial cruciate ligament (CrCL) damage, and MR assessment of ligament fiber tearing in partial CR stifles correlated with progression to complete CR over the 12-month follow-up period. We determined that the best predictive model for development of complete CR in PRP-collagen treated partial CR stifles included variables from multiple diagnostic modalities.

• Animals
• Anterior Cruciate Ligament/metabolism
• Anterior Cruciate Ligament/pathology
• Anterior Cruciate Ligament Injuries/etiology
• Anterior Cruciate Ligament Injuries/metabolism
• Anterior Cruciate Ligament Injuries/pathology
• Anterior Cruciate Ligament Injuries/therapy
• C-Reactive Protein/metabolism
• Dog Diseases/metabolism
• Dog Diseases/pathology
• Dog Diseases/therapy
• Dogs
• Female
• Male
• Osteoarthritis/complications
• Osteoarthritis/metabolism
• Osteoarthritis/pathology
• Osteoarthritis/therapy
• Platelet-Rich Plasma
• Synovial Fluid/metabolism
• Tissue Scaffolds

• K01 OD019743 NIH HHS
• American Kennel Club Canine Health Foundation (US)
• National Institutes of Health

This article provides a detailed narrative review on the history and current concepts surrounding ligamentous repair techniques in athletic patients. In particular, we will focus on the anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) as a case study in ligament injury and ligamentous repair techniques. PubMed (MEDLINE), EMBASE and Cochrane Library databases for papers relating to primary anterior cruciate ligament reconstruction were searched by all participating authors. All relevant historical papers were included for analysis. Additional searches of the same databases were made for papers relating to biological enhancement of ligament healing.

The poor capacity of the ACL to heal is one of the main reasons why the current gold standard surgical treatment for an ACL injury in an athletic patient is ACL reconstruction with autograft from either the hamstrings or patella tendon. It is hypothesised that by preserving and repairing native tissues and negating the need for autograft that primary ACL repair may represent a key step change in the treatment of ACL injuries.

The history of primary ACL repair will be discussed and the circumstances that led to the near-abandonment of primary ACL repair techniques will be reviewed.

There has been a recent resurgence in interest with regards to primary ACL repair. Improvements in imaging now allow for identification of tear location, with femoral-sided injuries, being more suitable for repair. We will discuss in details strategies for improving the mechanical and biological environment in order to allow primary healing to occur.

In particular, we will explain mechanical supplementation such as Internal Brace Ligament Augmentation and Dynamic Intraligamentary Stabilisation techniques. These are novel techniques that aim to protect the primary repair by providing a stabilising construct that connects the femur and the tibia, thus bridging the repair.

In addition, biological supplementation is being investigated as an adjunct and we will review the current literature with regards to bio-enhancement in the form platelet rich plasma, bio-scaffolds and stem cells. On the basis of current evidence, there appears to be a role for bio-enhancement, however, this is not yet translated into clinical practice.

Several promising avenues of further research now exist in the form of mechanical and biological augmentation techniques. Further work is clearly needed but there is renewed interest and focus for primary ACL repair that may yet prove the new frontier in ligament repair.

• Anterior
• Athletes
• Cruciate
• Ligament
• Primary
• Reconstruction
• Repair

• cytokines
• growth factors
• platelet-rich plasma
• sex differences

• Adolescent
• Adult
• Age Factors
• Becaplermin/blood
• C-Reactive Protein/analysis
• Female
• Fibroblast Growth Factor 2/blood
• Humans
• Insulin-Like Growth Factor I/analysis
• Interleukin-1beta/blood
• Leukocytes/metabolism
• Male
• Middle Aged
• Platelet Count
• Platelet-Derived Growth Factor/analysis
• Platelet-Rich Plasma/chemistry
• Proteomics
• Sex Characteristics
• Transforming Growth Factor beta1/blood
• Tumor Necrosis Factor-alpha/blood
• Young Adult

• I21 RX002045 RRD VA
• R01 AR051963 NIAMS NIH HHS

• anterior cruciate ligament
• leucocyte
• platelet-rich plasma
• proliferation

• PRF
• PRGF
• PRP
• blood platelets
• platelet-rich fibrin
• platelet-rich growth factor
• platelet-rich plasma
• regenerative medicine

Pancreatic cancer (PaCa) is a highly metastatic cancer, and patients are at high risk of developing venous thromboembolism (VTE). Neutrophil extracellular traps (NETs) have been associated with cancer metastasis and cancer-associated thrombosis, but the ability of cancer to stimulate NET release is not known. The release of NETs has been shown to be a slow process and requires reactive oxygen species (ROS) production. Studies suggest that activated platelets are important mediators in the release. Here, we show that PaCa cells can stimulate the rapid release of NETs, independently of ROS production. We further assessed the role of platelets in PaCa-induced NETs and observed a trend of increased the NET release by PaCa-primed platelets. Additionally, NETs promoted thrombus formation under venous shear stress ex vivo. Taken together, our results suggest that PaCa-induced NETs can contribute to the high risk of venous thromboembolism development in PaCa patients, and reveal NETs as a potential therapeutic target.

• neutrophil extracellular traps
• pancreatic cancer
• platelets
• venous thromboembolism

Dynamic augmentation of anterior cruciate ligament tears seems to reduce anteroposterior knee translation close to the pre-injury level. The aim of the present study is to biomechanically investigate the course of translation during a simulated early post-operative phase. It is hypothesized that anteroposterior translation is maintained at the immediate post-operative level over a simulated rehabilitation period of 50’000 gait cycles.

Eight fresh-frozen human cadaveric knee joints from donors with a mean age of 35.5 (range 25–40) years were subjected to 50’000 cycles of 0°-70°-0° flexion-extension movements in a custom-made test setup. Anteroposterior translation was assessed with simulated Lachman/KT-1000 testing in 0°, 15°, 30°, 60° and 90° of flexion in knee joints treated with the novel technique initially and after 50’000 cycles testing. Statistical analysis was performed using the Wilcoxon Signed-Rank Test. The level of significance was set at p = 0.05.

Anteroposterior translation changed non-significantly for all flexion angles between cycle 0 and 50’000 (p = 0.39 to p = 0.89), except for 30° flexion, where a significant increase by 1.4 mm was found (p = 0.03).

Increase in anteroposterior translation of knees treated with this dynamic augmentation procedure is low. The procedure maintains translation close to the immediate post-operative level over a simulated rehabilitation period of 50’000 gait cycles and therefore supports anterior cruciate ligament repair during biological healing.

• ACL
• ACL repair
• Dynamic Intraligamentary Stabilization
• Knee instability

Injury to the ulnar collateral ligament (UCL) most commonly occurs in the overhead throwing athlete. Knowledge surrounding UCL injury pathomechanics continues to improve, leading to better preventative treatment strategies and rehabilitation programs. Conservative treatment strategies for partial injuries, improved operative techniques for reconstruction in complete tears, adjunctive treatments, as well as structured sport specific rehabilitation programs including resistive exercises for the entire upper extremity kinetic chain are all important factors in allowing for a return to throwing in competitive environments. In this review, we explore each of these factors and provide recommendations based on the available literature to improve outcomes in UCL injuries in athletes.

• Elbow
• Ulnar collateral ligament
• Valgus instability
• Tommy John surgery
• Rehabilitation
• Overhead athlete
• Improved outcomes

• Allograft
• Anterior cruciate ligament
• Autograft
• Ligament prostheses
• Tissue engineering

• P-selectin
• PRP
• Platelet-rich plasma
• canine
• leukocytes
• platelet activation

Platelet-rich plasma (PRP) is widely used to treat tendon injuries in clinics. These PRP preparations often contain white blood cells or leukocytes, and the precise cellular effects of leukocyte-rich PRP (L-PRP) on tendons are not well defined. Therefore, in this study, we determined the effects of L-PRP on tendon stem/progenitor cells (TSCs), which play a key role in tendon homeostasis and repair.

TSCs isolated from the patellar tendons of rabbits were treated with L-PRP or P-PRP (pure PRP without leukocytes) in vitro, followed by measuring cell proliferation, stem cell marker expression, inflammatory gene expression, and anabolic and catabolic protein expression by using immunostaining, quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction, Western blot, and enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay, respectively.

Cell proliferation was induced by both L-PRP and P-PRP in a dose-dependent manner with maximum proliferation at a 10 % PRP dose. Both PRP treatments also induced differentiation of TSCs into active tenocytes. Nevertheless, the two types of PRP largely differed in several effects exerted on TSCs. L-PRP induced predominantly catabolic and inflammatory changes in differentiated tenocytes; its treatment increased the expression of catabolic marker genes, matrix metalloproteinase-1 (MMP-1), MMP-13, interleukin-1beta (IL-1β), IL-6 and tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-α), and their respective protein expression and prostaglandin E₂ (PGE₂) production. In contrast, P-PRP mainly induced anabolic changes; that is, P-PRP increased the gene expression of anabolic genes, alpha-smooth muscle actin (α-SMA), collagen types I and III.

These findings indicate that, while both L-PRP and P-PRP appear to be “safe” in inducing TSC differentiation into active tenocytes, L-PRP may be detrimental to the healing of injured tendons because it induces catabolic and inflammatory effects on tendon cells and may prolong the effects in healing tendons. On the other hand, when P-PRP is used to treat acutely injured tendons, it may result in the formation of excessive scar tissue due to the strong potential of P-PRP to induce inordinate cellular anabolic effects.

The mid-substance central defect injury has been used to investigate the primary healing capacity of the anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) in a goat model. The sagittal plane stability on this model has not been confirmed, and possible effects of fat pad excision on healing have not been evaluated. We hypothesize that excising the fat pad tissue results in poorer ligament healing as assessed histologically and decreased tensile strength of the healing ligament. We further hypothesize that the creation of a central defect does not affect sagittal plane knee stability.

A mid-substance central defect was created with a 4-mm arthroscopic punch in the ACLs of right knees of all the subjects through a medial mini-arthrotomy. Goats were assigned to groups based on whether the fat pad was preserved (group 1, n = 5) or excised completely (group 2, n = 5). The left knees served as controls in each goat. Histopathology of the defect area along with measurement of type I collagen in one goat from each group were performed at 10th week postoperatively. The remaining knees were evaluated biomechanically at the 12th week, by measuring anterior tibial translation (ATT) of the knee joints at 90° of flexion and testing tensile properties (ultimate tensile load (UTL), ultimate elongation (UE), stiffness (S), failure mode (FM)) of the femur-ACL-tibia complex.

Histopathology analysis revealed that the central defect area was fully filled macroscopically and microscopically. However, myxoid degeneration and fibrosis were observed in group 2 and increased collagen type I content was noted in group 2. There were no significant differences within and between groups in terms of ATT values (p = 0.715 and p = 0.149, respectively). There were no significance between or within groups in terms of ultimate tensile load and ultimate elongation; however, group 2 demonstrated greater stiffness than group 1 that was correlated with the fibrotic changes detected microscopically (p = 0.043).

The central defect type injury model was confirmed to be biomechanically stable in a goat model. Resection of the fat pad was noted to negatively affect defect healing and increase ligament stiffness in the central defect injury model.

Current research is investigating new methods to enhance tissue healing to speed up recovery time and decrease the risk of failure in Anterior Cruciate Ligament (ACL) reconstructive surgery. Biological augmentation is one of the most exploited strategies, in particular the application of Platelet Rich Plasma (PRP). Aim of the present paper is to systematically review all the preclinical and clinical papers dealing with the application of PRP as a biological enhancer during ACL reconstructive surgery. Thirty-two studies were included in the present review. The analysis of the preclinical evidence revealed that PRP was able to improve the healing potential of the tendinous graft both in terms of histological and biomechanical performance. Looking at the available clinical evidence, results were not univocal. PRP administration proved to be a safe procedure and there were some evidences that it could favor the donor site healing in case of ACL reconstruction with patellar tendon graft and positively contribute to graft maturation over time, whereas the majority of the papers did not show beneficial effects in terms of bony tunnels/graft area integration. Furthermore, PRP augmentation did not provide superior functional results at short term evaluation.

In recent years, the scientific discussion has focused on new strategies to enable a torn anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) to heal into mechanically stable scar tissue. Dynamic intraligamentary stabilization (DIS) was first performed in a pilot study of 10 patients. The purpose of the current study was to evaluate whether DIS would lead to similarly sufficient stability and good clinical function in a larger case series.

Acute ACL ruptures were treated by using an internal stabilizer, combined with anatomical repositioning of torn bundles and microfracturing to promote self-healing. Clinical assessment (Tegner, Lysholm, IKDC, and visual analogue scale [VAS] for patient satisfaction scores) and assessment of knee laxity was performed at 3, 6, 12, and 24 months. A one-sample design with a non-inferiority margin was chosen to compare the preoperative and postoperative IKDS and Lysholm scores.

278 patients with a 6:4 male to female ratio were included. Average patient age was 31 years. Preoperative mean IKDC, Lysholm, and Tegner scores were 98.8, 99.3, and 5.1 points, respectively. The mean anteroposterior (AP) translation difference from the healthy contralateral knee was 4.7 mm preoperatively. After DIS treatment, the mean 12-month IKDC, Lysholm, and Tegner scores were 93.6, 96.2, and 4.9 points, respectively, and the mean AP translation difference was 2.3 mm. All these outcomes were significantly non-inferior to the preoperative or healthy contralateral values (p < 0.0001). Mean patient satisfaction was 8.8 (VAS 0–10). Eight ACL reruptures occurred and 3 patients reported insufficient subjective stability of the knee at the end of the study period.

Anatomical repositioning, along with DIS and microfracturing, leads to clinically stable healing of the torn ACL in the large majority of patients. Most patients exhibited almost normal knee function, reported excellent satisfaction, and were able to return to their previous levels of sporting activity. Moreover, this strategy resulted in stable healing of all sutured menisci, which could lower the rate of osteoarthritic changes in future. The present findings support the discussion of a new paradigm in ACL treatment based on preservation and self-healing of the torn ligament.

• Ligament Maturity Index
• MSCs
• bioenhanced ACL repair
• biomechanical properties
• blood