This study was designed to evaulate the effects of reconstruction of anterior cruciate ligament on cartilage collagen and proteoglycan metabolism. Proteoglycan fragments (PF) and matrix metalloproteinase-1 (MMP-1) levels were assessed in synovial fluids aspirated from 17 patients preoperatively and at 1 st month postoperatively. Synovial fluids of 10 healthy knee served as controls. Both MMP-1 and proteoglycan fragments were found significantly elevated in pathological knees preoperatively with compare to control. The postoperative levels of MMP-1 and proteoglycans were also significantly higher than preoperative and control values. These findings suggest that surgical trauma may have detrimental effects on cartilage matrix metabolism through increasing degradation of proteoglycan and collagen.

This study was designed to evaulate the effects of reconstruction of anterior cruciate ligament on cartilage collagen and proteoglycan metabolism. Proteoglycan fragments (PF) and matrix metalloproteinase-1 (MMP-1) levels were assessed in synovial fluids aspirated from 17 patients preoperatively and at 1 st month postoperatively. Synovial fluids of 10 healthy knee served as controls. Both MMP-1 and proteoglycan fragments were found significantly elevated in pathological knees preoperatively with compare to control. The postoperative levels of MMP-1 and proteoglycans were also significantly higher than preoperative and control values. These findings suggest that surgical trauma may have detrimental effects on cartilage matrix metabolism through increasing degradation of proteoglycan and collagen.