Multiligament Reconstruction of the Knee in the Setting of Knee Dislocation With a Medial-Sided Injury

Arthrosc Tech. 2017 Mar 20;6(2):e341-e350. doi: 10.1016/j.eats.2016.10.003. eCollection 2017 Apr.

Abstract

Multiple ligament knee injuries are complex pathologies that often result from traumatic knee dislocations. Both a high level of suspicion and a thorough clinical and radiographic examination are mandatory to diagnose and identify all injured structures. Reconstruction of all injured ligaments is recommended to aid in early mobilization and to avoid joint stiffness or graft failure. For knee dislocations involving injury to the anterior cruciate ligament, posterior cruciate ligament, and medial-sided structures, a repair and augmentation of the medial collateral ligament, together with an anatomic reconstruction of the anterior cruciate ligament and double-bundle posterior cruciate ligament, is recommended. In the setting of these complex reconstructions, there are several technical aspects that require consideration to ensure concise and efficient treatment of these injuries. Graft choice, sequence of reconstruction, tunnel position and orientation, and graft tensioning all pose surgical challenges, and require dedicated preoperative preparation and planning. The purpose of this Technical Note is to report a safe, effective, and reproducible surgical technique for treatment of multiligament injuries in the setting of a knee dislocation with a medial-sided component (classified as KD-III-M in the Schenck classification system).