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Surgical techniques for anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) reconstruction continue to evolve. Harvesting techniques for commonly used ACL autografts such as bone patellar tendon bone, hamstring, and quadriceps tendon have similarly continued to progress. Traditional larger incisions for graft harvesting that were described in the 1980s have given way to smaller or more minimally invasive techniques. Advantages of these techniques are primarily anatomy based and include the following: decreased nerve complaints such as hypoesthesia or dysesthesia, improved cosmesis, decreased surgical site pain or morbidity, and, in the case of hamstring harvesting, easier tendon identification. The current literature supports reproducible minimally invasive or modified graft harvesting techniques for bone patellar tendon bone, hamstring, and quadriceps tendon autografts. Specialized instrumentation is available to simplify the harvesting process. Each of these techniques is described in detail outlining surgical steps, technical considerations, and precautions. Knowledge and review of these techniques provides the surgeon with greater flexibility and options when choosing and harvesting autograft tissue for ACL reconstruction.

Most physicians, trainers, and therapists are accustomed to thinking of open and closed kinetic chain terminology in terms of exercise and its application in rehabilitation protocols. This terminology can also be used to describe the mechanism by which injuries occur. Categorizing upper extremity injuries in this way not only provides vital insight into the mechanism of the injuries and helps identify possible injured structures but also allows the clinician to better develop treatment protocols. In this article, this categorization is applied to common shoulder and elbow injuries to provide insight into the nature of these injuries.