A retrospective matched cohort study was performed in 26 patients who underwent arthroscopic single-bundle ACL reconstruction with hamstring graft and developed postoperative joint infection in our institute from January 2002 to December 2017. They were matched 1:3 to patients who did not sustain joint infection after ACL reconstruction. MR scan was collected at the time of follow-up. Bone tunnel enlargement at tunnel aperture, midsection and exit of tibial and femoral tunnel was carefully assessed. Graft signal-to-noise quotient (SNQ) on MRI was calculated to evaluate graft maturity. Cartilage morphology was graded using Whole Organ Magnetic Resonance Imaging Score. A generalized linear mixed model was applied to analyze the effect of joint infection on the bone tunnel, graft and articular cartilage.
This study was conducted to analyze the effect of joint infection on the bone tunnel, graft and articular cartilage following arthroscopic single-bundle anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) reconstruction with autologous hamstring, to summarize the features of MR findings after joint infection, and to correlate these findings with their possible factors.