NCT07236593

Remnant Preservation and Tibial Tunnel Widening After ACL Reconstruction

Remnant Preservation in Anterior Cruciate Ligament Reconstruction: Does Stump Suturing Reduce the Risk of Tibial Tunnel Widening? A CT-Based Study

• Status: Completed
• Phase: N/A
• Study type: Interventional
• Enrollment: 190 (actual)
• Sponsor: Cairo University · Academic / Other
• Sex: All
• Age: 18 Years – 45 Years
• Healthy volunteers: Not accepted

Summary

Anterior Cruciate Ligament (ACL) reconstruction is one of the most commonly performed orthopedic procedures. Tibial tunnel widening is a recognized postoperative complication that may affect graft stability and long-term outcomes. Recent studies have suggested that preserving the ACL remnant may improve biological healing and reduce tunnel widening, but the evidence remains inconclusive. This prospective randomized study aims to evaluate whether remnant (stump) preservation and suturing during ACL reconstruction can reduce the risk of tibial tunnel widening compared with the conventional stump-resection technique. A total of 190 patients with recent ACL tears (\<6 months) were randomly assigned into two equal groups: Group A underwent arthroscopic ACL reconstruction with remnant suturing, while Group B underwent standard reconstruction with stump resection. All patients were followed for 12 months postoperatively with serial CT evaluations to assess tunnel diameters and positioning.

Conditions

• Anterior Cruciate Ligament Injury

Interventions

Type	Name	Description
PROCEDURE	Stump-Suturing ACL Reconstruction	Patients in this group undergo arthroscopic ACL reconstruction with preservation and suturing of the native ACL remnant (stump) around the graft. The technique aims to enhance graft revascularization and biological healing, potentially reducing tibial tunnel widening.
PROCEDURE	Stump-Resection ACL Reconstruction	Patients in this group undergo standard arthroscopic ACL reconstruction with complete resection of the ACL remnant (stump) prior to graft placement. This represents the conventional surgical approach for ACL reconstruction.

Timeline

• Start date: 2021-07-01
• Primary completion: 2024-03-30
• Completion: 2024-03-30
• First posted: 2025-11-19
• Last updated: 2025-11-19

Locations

1 site across 1 country: Egypt