Tissue Augmentation Techniques in the Management of Ligamentous Knee Injuries

Ashley A Thompson,1 Ioanna K Bolia,1 Amir Fathi,1 Andrew Dobitsch,1 Christian A Cruz,1 Rajvarun Grewal,2 Alexander E Weber,1 Frank A Petrigliano,1 George F Hatch III1 1USC Epstein Family Center for Sports Medicine at Keck Medicine of USC, Los Angeles, CA, 90033, USA; 2California Health Sciences University, Clovis, CA, 93612, USACorrespondence: Ioanna K Bolia, USC Epstein Family Center for Sports Medicine at Keck Medicine of USC, 1520 San Pablo St #2000, Los Angeles, CA, 90033, USA, Email ioanna.bolia-kavouklis@med.usc.eduAbstract: Despite early reports of high failure rates in knee ligament repair techniques resulting in favor of reconstruction, newer advances in surgical technology have shifted the attention back to repair with the addition of various tissue augmentation techniques. Ligament repair preserves proprioceptors in the native ligament and avoids autograft tendon harvest, minimizing the complications associated with donor site ruptures in reconstruction techniques. Tissue augmentation has been successfully used in knee ligamentous and tendon repair procedures, as well as in some upper extremity procedures. This study provides a clinical update on the surgical techniques, biomechanics, and outcomes with the application of various tissue augmentation techniques in the ligaments surrounding the knee joint.Keywords: knee, tissue augmentation, ligament repair, suture augmentation, ligament reconstruction, internal brace