Early diagnosis and treatment of acute ruptures of the anterior cruciate ligament; a clinical and arthrographic study of forty-eight cases.

Abstract

Forty-eight patients with suspected acute rupture of the anterior cruciate ligament were examined under anesthesia and by arthrography. Thirty-five had complete and thirteen had Partial ruptures of the cruciate ligament. Thirty-three patients with complete rupture were treated by suture and the rest by conservative measures. Arthrography performed by a special technique was found to be a very good method of diagnosing acute ruptures of the cruciate ligaments. If the arthrogram suggests a cruciate-ligament rupture, the injured joined should always be examined under anesthesia. The results of operative treatment to date have been excellent.