Two-Incision Anterior Cruciate Ligament Reconstruction.

J Am Acad Orthop Surg · Jun 01 2026 · Review

Bernholt DL, Spindler KP, Azar FM, Wright RW

From the Division Chief of Sports Medicine, Campbell Clinic, University of Tennessee Health Science Center, TN (Wright)

Sports Medicine

SUMMARY — THE REDUCTIONTwo-incision ACL reconstruction remains a useful, low-cost technique especially for revision surgery and patellar tendon autografts, despite being largely supplanted by minimally invasive methods.
Abstract, as published

Two-incision anterior cruciate ligament reconstruction (ACLR) is a well-established technique used to perform an arthroscopically assisted ACLR. Historically, this approach to ACLR was once considered the benchmark; however, with evolving arthroscopic technology and the rise of more minimally invasive techniques, this approach to ACLR has become less popular. The two-incision technique still has notable clinical utility because it can (1) increase the surgeon's ability to perform a single-stage revision ACLR and (2) help avoid graft-tunnel mismatch in primary ACLR with a patellar tendon autograft when encountering a long tendon. This technique, when coupled with metal screws and an autograft tendon, is also the lowest cost ACLR technique that allows independent femoral tunnel positioning and thus should be considered as an option for primary ACLR by surgeons prioritizing cost containment without compromising surgical outcomes.

Featured in the 2026-09-01 issue.

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