Lateral Extra-Articular Tenodesis With Anterior Cruciate Ligament Reconstruction in Pediatric and Skeletally Immature Patients: A Systematic Review and Meta-analysis.

BACKGROUND: Lateral extra-articular tenodesis (LET), alongside anterior cruciate ligament reconstruction (ACLR), has been shown to improve rerupture and rotational laxity in patients <25 years. However, safety and efficacy in both general pediatric (<18 years) and skeletally immature patients are important to identify. PURPOSE: To assess clinical outcomes and complications after the LET procedure with ACLR in the pediatric and skeletally immature population. STUDY DESIGN: Meta-analysis; Level of evidence, 4. METHODS: Three databases were searched on December 5, 2024. Data were collected on study characteristics, demographics, surgical details, LET indications, patient-reported outcome measures, return to sport (RTS), rerupture rates, and complications. A meta-analysis of graft rerupture and RTS was performed using a Mantel-Haenszel and fixed-effects model (pooled effect measure: odds ratio [OR] with 95% CI). RESULTS: Nine studies comprising 317 patients (318 knees) were included, of whom 204 patients (205 knees) were skeletally immature. The mean age of all patients and skeletally immature patients was 14.6 years (range, 8-18 years) and 13.6 years (range, 8-16.1 years), respectively. Common indications for LET included a grade 2+ pivot shift and intention to return to a high level of sport. The pooled RTS rate of ACLR+LET was 96% (92%-99%; I² = 48%) and 98% (94%-100%; I² = 39%) in general pediatric and skeletally immature patients, respectively. The rerupture rate after ACLR+LET was 1.6% and 2.4% in general pediatric and skeletally immature patients, respectively. Pooled data consisting of 119 patients who underwent ACLR+LET and 87 patients with isolated ACLR found ACLR+LET to have a significantly lower rate of ACLR graft reruptures compared with isolated ACLR of 0.8% and 12.6%, respectively (I² = 0%; OR = 0.12; 95% CI, 0.03-0.53; P = .0036). ACLR+LET was also found to have a significantly higher RTS rate compared with isolated ACLR (92.4% vs 80.5%, respectively) (I² = 0%; OR, 3.06; 95% CI, 1.3-7.18; P = .0104). There were 2 reports of growth disturbances (0.63%), with 1 case being corrected by surgical epiphysiodesis and another being clinically asymptomatic. CONCLUSION: The LET procedure, as an adjunct to ACLR in pediatric and adolescent patients, has been shown to be safe with low complication rates-including physeal disturbance. Pooled data from the literature to date demonstrate that ACLR combined with an LET has a lower rate of graft rerupture while maintaining previously described high rates of RTS in pediatric patients compared with isolated ACLR.