The clinical outcome of minimally invasive popliteal tendon recess procedure is comparable to arthroscopic popliteal tendon reconstruction in patients with type A posterolateral rotational instability

Purpose To compare the objective and subjective clinical outcome of minimally invasive popliteal tendon (PT) recess procedure versus arthroscopic PT reconstruction, combined with posterior cruciate ligament reconstruction in patients with Type A posterolateral rotational instability (PLRI). The hypothesis was that the two techniques had comparable clinical outcomes. Methods Between 2012 and 2017, patients who were eligible for inclusion in this study if they (1) had Type A PLRI according to Fanelli’s classification with posterior tibial translation > 12 mm on stress radiography and side-to-side difference of dial test external rotation > 10°, (2) PT peel-off lesion or laxity with structural integrity (3) were followed for a minimum of 2 years with examination under anesthesia (EUA) and stress radiograph results. Evaluation included subjective scoring, knee stability examinations and second-look arthroscopic lateral gutter drive-through (LGDT) test. Patients who underwent PT recess procedure were designated as Group A, while patients who underwent arthroscopic PT reconstruction were labelled as Group B. The differences between the two groups were analyzed. Results A total of 61 eligible patients with a minimum follow-up time of 2 years were evaluated in the present study. At the final follow-up, there were no significant inter-group differences in Lysholm scores (Group A: 69.0 ± 16.5, Group B: 75.8 ± 14.6, ns), Tegner scores [Group A: 2 (1–4), Group B: 3 (1–5), ns], or IKDC subjective scores (Group A: 70.5 ± 13.5, Group B: 71.1 ± 9.1, ns). No significant difference in side-to-side difference on posterior stress radiography (Group A: 4.3 ± 3.8 mm, Group B: 4.7 ± 4.6 mm, P = 0.701), dial test result (Group A: 0.9 ± 4.4°, Group B: 1.6 ± 4.9°, ns) or LGDT test positive rate (Group A: 2/34, 5.9%, Group B: 2/27, 7.7%, ns) was observed. Conclusion Both minimally invasive PT recess procedure and arthroscopic PT reconstruction significantly improved the knee stability and subjective outcome comparing with preoperative value. In a comparison with arthroscopic PT reconstruction, the recess procedure demonstrated comparable subjective and objective clinical outcome. When both PT reconstruction and PT recess procedure are indicated, the minimally invasive and graft-free recess procedure can be a viable option. Level of evidence III.