We reviewed the results of a series of patients with combined anterior cruciate ligament and medial collateral ligament injury who received nonoperative management of medial collateral ligament with anterior cruciate ligament reconstruction using a contralateral hamstring tendon graft.

From May 2000 to June 2001, 12 cases (20-46 years; mean, 35 years) were available for follow-up (12-23months; mean, 16.7 months) with combined anterior cruciate ligament and medial collateral ligament injury that underwent anterior cruciate ligament reconstruction alone using a contralateral hamstring tendon graft. Follow-up evaluation involved; KT-2000 arthrometer testing, valgus stress testing and the International Knee Documentation Committee (IKDC) evaluation form.

Mean side to side difference of manual maximum anterior displacement using the KT-2000 arthrometer was 1.75 mm. All cases showed a firm end point by the valgus stress test. At the final IKDC evaluation, 2 cases were graded as normal, 8 nearly normal, 1 abnormal and 1 severely abnormal. The donor site result of the IKDC evaluation form showed normal in 8, nearly normal in 3 and abnormal in 1.

These results demonstrate the effectiveness of ACL reconstruction alone using the contralateral hamstring tendon graft as an autograft in combined ACL and MCL injury, which was found to restore satisfactory stability with minimal complications at both injured and donor sites.