Objective: Semitendinosus (ST) Tendon is a commonly used graft for anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) repair. The longer the tendon, the more often can it be folded, yielding a bigger diameter and better stability. Our aim was to investigate, if the kind of anaesthesia is a relevant factor influencing the length of the harvested semitendinosus tendon.

Methods: This prospective, non-randomized study included patients undergoing ACL replacements at a single unit. The patients chose between spinal and general anaesthesia. If general anaesthesia was chosen, a short relaxation period was applied while harvesting the ST tendon. The data for tendon length, the folding factor and the diameter of the graft was collected. Except redo procedures and repairs with allograft, all patients undergoing an ACL replacement were included.

Results: 31 patients with general anaesthesia (GA) and 14 patients with spinal anaesthesia (SA) were examined. The ST tendon length was 29.03 cm ± 2.6 cm in the GA group and 25.4 cm ± 2.70 in the SA group (p=0.0001). The ST tendon could be quadrupled in 23 patients in the GA and 6 patients in the SA group (χ2=4.13, p=0.04). The graft diameter obtained was 8.53 mm ± 0.62 mm in the GA group and 7.71 mm ± 0.47 mm in the SA group.

Conclusion: GA with short time relaxation while harvesting the ST tendon for ACL grafting allows to harvest longer ST tendons and consequently yields better results regarding the graft dimensions and should be offered to patients as a first choice.

Kim Borsky is a surgical trainee in the NHS, United Kingdom training to become a plastic surgeon and has passed her MRCS examination to become a Member of the Royal College of Surgeons. Besides her clinical work, she has a special interest in research and has just recently completed her MD at the University of Zurich. She has been involved in both orthopedics and plastic surgery research. Her main area of interests are Anterior Cruciate Ligament reconstruction where she collaborates with a Swiss Orthopedic Centre in her research. Furthermore, she is part of an international research group MDR Collab that focuses on trend analysis.