Objective  To investigate the effects of fluoroscopy-assisted anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) reconstruction on knee function and stability in patients with ACL injury.

Methods  The clinical data of 175 patients with ACL injury were retrospectively analyzed. According to different surgical methods, the patients were divided into control group (n=95, conventional arthroscopic ACL reconstruction) and fluoroscopy group (n=80, fluoroscopy-assisted arthroscopic ACL reconstruction). The surgery-related indicators, knee function recovery, bone tunnel positioning parameters, knee stability and range of motion and occurrence of complications were compared between the two groups.

Results  The surgical time in the fluoroscopy group was significantly longer, and the amount of intraoperative blood loss was less than that in the control group (P < 0.05). The knee Lyshlom score and International Knee Documentation Committee (IKDC) score at 12 months after surgery in the fluoroscopy group were significantly higher than those in the control group (P < 0.05). The ratio of distance from intersection position of Blumensaat extension line and tibial level to the anterior edge of tibial tunnel (a) to the width of anteroposterior diameter of tibial plateau (c) (a/c), and angle between Blumensaat line and tibial tunnel axis line (α angle) in the fluoroscopy group were significantly smaller than those in the control group, while the ratio of distance from vertical site of Blumensaat line to intersection of Blumensaat line and anterior cortex of lateral femoral condyle (A) to distance from intersection of Blumensaat lineand anterior cortex of lateral femoral condyle (B) (A/B) was significantly larger than that in the control group (P < 0.05). At 12 months after surgery, the positive rates of KT-2000 test and Lachman test in the fluoroscopy group were significantly lower than those in the control group (P < 0.05). The limited angles of knee extension and flexion after surgery in the fluoroscopy group were significantly smaller than those in the control group (P < 0.05). There was no significant difference in the total incidence of postoperative complications between the two groups (P>0.05).

Conclusion  Fluoroscopy-assisted ACL reconstruction can effectively improve the postoperative knee function and knee range of motion in patients with ACL injury after surgery, improve the accuracy of bone marrow canal positioning and knee stability, and it is safe and reliable.