CURRENT PANORAMA OF ANTERIOR CRUCIATE LIGAMENT RECONSTRUCTION SURGERY IN BRAZIL

OBJECTIVE: This study aims to establish the current panorama of the anterior cruciate ligament reconstruction surgery in Brazil. METHODS: A survey that consisted of a 24-item questionnaire including surgeon's demographics, preferred technique, graft selection, graft positioning, use of braces, drains, antibiotic prophylaxis and most common complications was conducted at the last three editions of a national knee surgery event. RESULTS: Six hundred eight questionnaires were analyzed. Brazilian knee surgeons are mostly male, with mean age of 42 years (26-68) and are affiliated to at least one orthopedic society. Thirty-six percent (36%) perform more than 50 reconstructions per year. The preferred graft is the hamstring tendons graft (64%). The frequency of use of anatomical technique increased approximately from 55% from 2011 to 2013, to 85.5% in 2015 (p<0.001). From 2011 to 2015, there was a progressive reduction from 56.8% to 18.1% in the frequency of use of transtibial femoral tunnel drilling (p<0.001). CONCLUSION: Our findings show that Brazilian knee surgeons’ preferences are evolving according to the current world practice. Level of Evidence V, Economic and Decision analysis study.