Assessment of an Intra-Articular Drain in Arthroscopy-Assisted Anterior Cruciate Ligament Reconstruction

Introduction The use of a drain after various types of arthroscopic surgeries has long been debated. Whether a drain offers an advantage in terms of pain, swelling, and functional outcome after arthroscopy-assisted reconstruction of the anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) needs to be investigated. This study was designed to assess the validity of the use of an intra-articular drain after routine arthroscopic ACL reconstruction and to assess the various complications associated with its use. Material and methods Forty-four patients (group I included patients for whom an intra-articular drain was used and group II included patients for whom an intra-articular drain was not used) diagnosed with ACL injury were included in the study. The patients in group I had a drain placed inside the joint, while those in group II had a drain placed outside the joint cavity but the drain placement was such that there remained no patient or observer bias. Results Outcome assessment was performed on days one, two, and three followed by weeks one, four, and eight, and six months after surgery by determining a visual analog pain (VAS) score. The assessment was also done for the range of motion (ROM) in terms of loss of flexion and extension with a hand-held goniometer, knee hemarthrosis, and thigh circumference. Although there was a difference in both the groups in terms of the above-mentioned parameters in the early post-operative period, the difference becomes insignificant at the final follow-up at six months. Conclusion From this study, we conclude that putting an intra-articular drain after ACL reconstruction offers no advantage in terms of functional outcome in the long term.