The American journal of sports medicine
-
Comparative Study
A cost-effectiveness analysis comparing 3 anterior cruciate ligament graft types: bone-patellar tendon-bone autograft, hamstring autograft, and allograft.
Anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) reconstruction, despite being one of the most common surgical interventions, is also one of the least agreed upon surgeries when it comes to optimum graft choice. Three graft choices stand among the most widely used in this procedure: (1) bone-patellar tendon-bone autograft (BPTB), (2) quadruple hamstring tendon autograft (HS), and (3) allograft. ⋯ This model suggests that hamstring autograft ACL reconstruction is the most cost-effective method of surgery for the average patient with ACL deficiency. However, specific clinical scenarios that change postoperative probabilities of the different complications may sway surgeons to choose either allografts or BPTB. Cost-effectiveness analysis is not intended to replace individual clinician judgment but rather is intended to examine both the effectiveness and costs associated with theoretical groups undergoing specific multifactorial decisions.