Hardware-related symptoms are the most common complication after anterior closing wedge osteotomy performed with ACL reconstruction: A systematic review.
Academic Article
Overview
abstract
PURPOSE: To systematically review existing literature to define the rate and types of complications of anterior closing wedge osteotomy (ACWO) when performed in conjunction with anterior cruciate ligament reconstruction (ACLR). METHODS: A systematic query of PubMed, Embase and Scopus databases was conducted in accordance with Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA) guidelines in September 2025. Studies were included if they reported complications in patients undergoing ACWO with concurrent ACLR. Data on demographics, surgical technique, fixation method, graft type, posterior tibial slope (PTS) correction and complications were extracted. Data were described narratively and presented as frequencies with ranges in order to avoid potential bias and misleading conclusions from pooling heterogeneous data. RESULTS: Twelve retrospective case series comprising 505 patients undergoing combined ACLR with ACWO were included. The overall complication rate was 9.7% (range: 0%-82.8%). The most common complication was symptomatic hardware (6.1%), accounting for nearly half of all reported complications. The overall rate of postoperative ACL graft rupture was 1.7%. Other reported complications included arthrofibrosis (0.4%), infection (0.2%) and malunion (0.2%). No reported cases of nonunion, hinge fracture, neurovascular injury or loss of sagittal plane correction were reported. CONCLUSION: ACWO performed during ACLR demonstrates a clinically relevant complication rate, with hardware-related symptoms constituting the most frequent adverse event. Severe complications were rare. ACWO may reduce but does not eliminate the risk of ACL graft failure in patients with elevated PTS and appears to be a safe and effective option when PTS correction is indicated. LEVEL OF EVIDENCE: Level IV.
