Objective: To compare the difference in the rate and timing of returning to play after anterior cruciate ligament reconstruction (ACLR) between patients with autograft and artificial ligament. Methods: The patients who underwent ACLR in the Department of Sports Medicine, Huashan Hospital Affiliated to Fudan University from January 2004 to December 2010 were included in the study. The information on their return to sports of different intensity, the timing of return, as well as their sports performance before injury, before surgery, and in the first, second, third, fifth, seventh and tenth year after surgery were collected. Statistical analysis was used to explore the difference between the two groups in the rate of return to sport and the timing to return. Results: In the LARS group, 24 patients have returned to sport after surgery, with a return rate of 96%. 18 patients have returned to competition, the rate being 72%. Six patients have returned to recreational activities, the rate 24%. In the autogenous HT group, 45 patients have returned to sport after surgery, the return rate 90%. 21 patients have returned to competitive sports, the rate 42%. 24 patients have returned to recreational activities, the return rate 48%. There was a statistically significant difference in the rate of returning to competitive sport between the two groups (P=0.016). As for the LARS group, patients returned to light physical activity (2.0±1.0) months after the surgery, returned to sports involving knee torsion and sudden stop (3.5±1.4) months after the surgery, and returned to competitive sports (5.2±1.7) months after the surgery. For the autologous HT group, patients returned to light physical activity (3.9±1.4) months after the surgery, returned to sports involving knee torsion and sudden stop (5.9±1.3) months after the surgery, and returned to competitive sports (11.1±2.4) months after the surgery. The two groups had significant difference in the timing of returning to play (light physical activity, P<0.001; sports involving knee torsion and sudden stop, P<0.001; returning to competition, P<0.001). The LARS group had a significantly higher Tegner activity score than the autologous HT group in the first and second years after the surgery. Conclusion: The results of the long-term follow-up after the surgery showed that patients who used LARS to reconstruct the anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) not only have returned to different levels of sports significantly earlier than those who used autologous HT, but also had an obvious advantage in returning to competitive sports. |