Combined injuries to the posterolateral corner and cruciate ligaments are uncommon. The heterogeneity of injury patterns in many studies complicates the assessment of outcomes.

To assess the prognosis and functional outcomes after surgery for combined injuries to the posterolateral corner and to the anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) or posterior cruciate ligament (PCL).

We systematically reviewed the literature for articles reporting outcomes 1year or more after surgery for combined injuries to the posterolateral corner and ACL (n=4) or PCL (n=9). Patients with bicruciate injuries were not studied.

Overall, 65% of patients were IKDC A or B after surgery. The mean Lysholm score improved from 67 to 90. Mean time to surgery was 4.43months in the group with ACL tears and 18.4months in the group with PCL tears, and mean follow-up was 34.4 and 40.7months in these two groups, respectively. In the groups with ACL and PCL tears, the proportions of patients classified as IKDC A or B at last follow-up were 81.6% and 81.0%, respectively, whereas 88% and 99% of patients, respectively, were IKDC grade C or D before surgery. The mean Lysholm score improved from 77 to 92 in the group with ACL tears and from 65 to 89 in the group with PCL tears. Improvements in laxity ranged from 28% to 79% in the group with PCL tears.

Most of the articles selected for our review provided level III or IV evidence. Functional outcomes were satisfactory but less good than those reported after surgical reconstruction of isolated cruciate ligament tears. Full reconstruction seems the best strategy in patients with combined ACL/posterolateral corner injuries. Outcomes were also good but more variable in the group with PCL/posterolateral corner injuries. The time to surgery, which reflected the time to diagnosis, was shorter in patients with ACL than with PCL tears in addition to the posterolateral corner injury.

Level III (systematic literature review).