BACKGROUND: The use of allograft tendon promotes the development of anterior cruciate ligament reconstruction, which is of great importance in the relevant basic research and clinical practice. OBJECTIVE: To summarize the current application and progress of allograft tendon in the anterior cruciate ligament reconstruction. METHODS: We searched relevant articles about the use of allograft tendon in PubMed and Embase published from January 2012 to February 2018 using the keywords of "allograft tends OR allografts, intra-articular knee ligament OR anterior cruciate ligament OR ACL". RESULTS AND CONCLUSION: China's use of allogeneic tendon in the reconstruction of the anterior cruciate ligament is still in the developmental stage. The current pros and cons of using allografts or autografts in anterior cruciate ligament reconstruction are inconclusive. Concerns about the choice of allografts are mainly due to possible infections and slow healing. A huge difference exists in different trials concerning the effects of allografts versus autografts. The conclusions are therefore roughly as follows: there is no difference in knee function after implantation of the two grafts, or the knee joint function is better after autograft. Studies have shown that allografts may increase the risk of secondary surgery. Therefore, the use of allograft tendon faces many clinical challenges in the anterior cruciate ligament reconstruction.