Case: A 20-year-old woman presented with symptomatic instability secondary to traumatic anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) rupture. Arthroscopic ACL reconstruction was performed using a 4-strand semitendinosus autograft harvested using a posterior approach. At her 2-month follow-up, a painful mass was palpable, and a hernia of the medial gastrocnemius was confirmed by ultrasound. This was treated with fascial closure. The clinical outcome was excellent at final follow-up.
Conclusion: This is the first case reported in the literature of a muscular hernia after an ACL reconstruction using a posterior harvest of the semitendinosus. Surgeons must be aware of this specific complication and how it may be addressed.
Copyright © 2020 by The Journal of Bone and Joint Surgery, Incorporated.