Editorial Commentary: Gracilis-Sparing Anterior Cruciate Ligament Hamstring Graft Reconstruction Is Less Invasive Than Semitendinosus-Gracilis Graft Harvest, and Shows No Clinical Difference in Outcomes With Grafts Greater Than 8 mm in Diameter.

Although patellar tendon grafts are most commonly used for anterior cruciate ligament reconstruction in the United States, hamstring autograft is most commonly used worldwide. Hamstring advantages include easy, quick harvest; low morbidity; ease of rehabilitation (compared with patellar tendon grafts); and relatively less pain. Historically, both the semitendinosus (ST) and gracilis are harvested, but by doubling, tripling, or quadrupling the ST to achieve an 8-mm graft, the gracilis can be spared, resulting in less knee flexion weakness. However, recent research has shown no clinically important difference between ST and ST-gracilis patient outcomes.
Competing Interests: Disclosures The authors report the following potential conflicts of interest or sources of funding: B.A.L. reports a relationship with Arthrex that includes consulting or advisory services and speaking and lecture fees. All other authors (G.R.R., E.M.) declare that they have no known competing financial interests or personal relationships that could have appeared to influence the work reported in this article. Full ICMJE author disclosure forms are available for this article online, as supplementary material.
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