Equilae, pioneers the use of a new technique to reconstruct the anterior cruciate ligament in children

In Europe, Equilae has pioneered the use of a new technique to reconstruct the anterior cruciate ligament in children, which had previously only been used in Australia.

The technique involves the transplant of a hamstring tendon from one of the child’s parents. This not only reduces surgical invasiveness for the paediatric patient, but also avoids the risk of the new tendon having insufficient diameter or length. Such risks are fairly common in preadolescents and have been linked to increased rerupture rates of the ligament in the future.

Since the tendon is donated by one of the patient’s biological parents, the risk of transplant rejection can be avoided. In addition, the implementation of specific technical methods during the surgery prevents damage to growth plates and its potential impact on the child’s future growth and development.

These technical modifications, carried out during the reconstruction of the child’s ligament, allow the knee to be effectively stabilised. This avoids the occurrence of meniscal or cartilage lesions, as well as possible premature wear of the joint.

Dr Joan Carles Monllau García is head of the Knee and Arthroscopic Surgery Unit of ICATME, and of the Orthopaedic Surgery and Traumatology Service at Hospital del Mar. He is also a member of Equilae. In recent interviews with TV3 and La Vanguardia, he explained what this reconstruction technique involves.

As always at Equilae, we will continue to conduct research in pursuit of the best results through the least invasive methods.