Pembury

The Anterior Cruciate Ligament (ACL) is a key stabilizer of the knee, and ACL ruptures are increasingly found in children and those who have not fully grown. This research focuses on reconstructing the ACL in these younger patients, exploring a new approach using hamstring tendons donated by a living adult donor, typically a parent. The study addresses challenges in choosing the best graft for children, as their smaller tendons may not be ideal for reconstruction, and past methods using tendons from deceased donors have shown higher rerupture rates. The procedure involves harvesting hamstring tendons from the parent donor under general anesthesia. These tendons are then implanted into the child during the ACL reconstruction surgery, which may also include additional repairs if needed. This technique preserves the child’s own tendons and provides a larger graft size from the parent. Patients and parents are informed and consented after confirming the ACL rupture by MRI, and the surgery follows standard practices with routine fixation devices. Participants will be followed for up to two years or until they reach full skeletal maturity, whichever is longer. Throughout the study, children will attend scheduled clinical visits for physical assessments, knee function questionnaires, and ligament testing. Any adverse events will be reported to relevant health authorities. The study aims to evaluate knee function using established forms and scores at multiple points after surgery, including 6 weeks, 6 months, 1 year, and 2 years post-operation.