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CC BY-NC-ND 4.0 · Revista Chilena de Ortopedia y Traumatología 2025; 66(01): e37-e41
DOI: 10.1055/s-0045-1809064
Artículo de Revisión | Review Article

Triggering Factors of Arthrofibrosis Following Anterior Cruciate Ligament Reconstruction

Article in several languages: español | English
Alejandro Antonio Monzón Rodas 
1   Universidad de San Carlos de Guatemala, Ciudad de Guatemala, Guatemala
,
Cristel Carolina Ramírez Rodas 
1   Universidad de San Carlos de Guatemala, Ciudad de Guatemala, Guatemala
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Abstract

Arthrofibrosis corresponds to an intra- and periarticular invasion of fibrous tissue responsible for joint ankylosis. It is a complication that arises due to multiple factors that promote excessive proliferation of myofibroblasts, regulated by reduced apoptosis, adhesions, and aggressive synthesis of extracellular matrix. An incidence of 5–35% has been reported, which is higher in women. The most common triggering factors include the presence of concomitant injuries in the knee joint, limited preoperative range of motion, chronic inflammation in the knee prior to surgery, surgical trauma, errors in surgical technique, postoperative infection, inadequate rehabilitation, and prolonged immobilization after surgery. Understanding the etiology of this condition is essential to identify individuals at higher risk of developing this complication and to develop prevention strategies and appropriate treatment to minimize the risk of arthrofibrosis.

Keywords

arthrofibrosis - anterior cruciate ligament - triggering factors - arthroscopy

Evidence Level

EBM: Recommendation: Grade A Level of Scientific Evidence: Level IV




Publication History

Received: 19 March 2025

Accepted: 02 April 2025

Article published online:
20 May 2025

© 2025. Sociedad Chilena de Ortopedia y Traumatologia. This is an open access article published by Thieme under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution-NonDerivative-NonCommercial License, permitting copying and reproduction so long as the original work is given appropriate credit. Contents may not be used for commercial purposes, or adapted, remixed, transformed or built upon. (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/4.0/)

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