Intra-articular application of 3-D printed guides for femoral positioning in anterior cruciate ligament reconstruction
- VernacularTitle:关节腔内3D打印导板在前交叉韧带重建股骨侧定位中的应用
- Author:
Kang JI
1
;
Jun MA
1
;
Jin LI
1
;
Jie'en PAN
1
;
Zhenhai CAI
1
;
Gang CHEN
1
Author Information
- Publication Type:Journal Article
- Keywords: anterior cruciate ligament(ACL); reconstruction; 3D printing; arthroscopy; quadrant method
- From: China Journal of Endoscopy 2025;31(3):74-80
- CountryChina
- Language:Chinese
- Abstract: Objective To investigate the application of a 3-D printed femoral locator designed based on the modified quadrant method,combined with patient imaging data,then assist in femoral positioning for anterior cruciate ligament(ACL)reconstruction.Methods From January 2023 to January 2024,60 patients with primary ACL rupture who met the inclusion criteria were randomly assigned to either the 3-D printed guide group(using a 3-D printed femoral positioning guide to assist ACL reconstruction with nylon material)or the traditional surgery group(traditional surgery with direct visualization ACL reconstruction),with 30 patients in each group.Preoperative and postoperative knee CT scans and three-dimensional reconstructions were performed.The modified quadrant method was used to analyze and compare the percentage coordinates(Fx and Fy)of the femoral tunnel center point pre-and postoperatively within the same group and between different groups.Results The guides were made using nylon material.The surgery duration was significantly shorter in the 3D-printed guide group(53.8±6.0)min compared to the traditional surgery group(62.4±7.8)min,the difference was statistically significant(P＜0.05).Analysis using the modified quadrant method showed that the postoperative relative coordinate position percentages of the femoral tunnel center in the 3D-printed guide group(28.4±2.0)％and(35.5±2.3)％were not significantly different from the preoperative planned values(28.4±0.0)％and(35.7±0.0)％,the differences were not statistically significant(P＞0.05).Similarly,in the traditional surgery group,the postoperative coordinate percentages(28.1±2.9)％and(35.2±3.2)％showed no significant difference compared to the preoperative planned values(28.4±0.0)％and(35.7±0.0)％,the differences were not statistically significant(P＞0.05).There was no statistically significant difference in the postoperative femoral tunnel center position percentages between the two groups(P＞0.05).The Lysholm score and International Knee Documentation Committee(IKDC)score of the two groups showed an increasing trend after surgery,and the differences between Lysholm score and IKDC score at each time point were statistically significant(P＜0.05).However,no statistical differences were found between the two groups at each postoperative time point(P＞0.05).Conclusion Both intra-articular 3D-printed guide-assisted and traditional surgery-assisted femoral positioning for ACL reconstruction can achieve anatomical reconstruction,with no significant difference in bone tunnel positioning.However,the use of intra-articular 3D-printed guide technology has a more centralized distribution of the femoral tunnel center point and a shorter surgery duration.This study provides proof of concept for the creation of personalized femoral tunnel locators for patients undergoing ACL reconstruction.
