FUNCTIONAL OUTCOME OF ANTERIOR CRUCIATE LIGAMENT GANGLION CYSTS TREATED WITH ARTHROSCOPIC RESECTION: A PROSPECTIVE CASE SERIES

Background: Ganglion cysts of the anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) are rare intra-articular knee lesions that often presentwith chronic knee pain and restriction of motion without instability. Because the clinical presentation is nonspecific,diagnosis is frequently delayed. Arthroscopic excision is considered the definitive treatment. The objective is to evaluate theclinical and functional outcomes of ACL ganglion cysts treated with arthroscopic resection. Materials and Methods: Aprospective case series was conducted over one year (July 2022–June 2023). Patients aged 15–50 years with MRI-confirmedACL ganglion cysts underwent arthroscopic decompression and excision. Functional outcome was assessed using the OxfordKnee Score (OKS) preoperatively and at 6-month follow-up. Range of motion, pain, complications, and recurrence were alsoevaluated. Pre- and postoperative OKS were compared using a paired t-test restricted to patients who completed follow-up.Results: Nine patients were enrolled; one (Patient 5) was lost to follow-up before the 6-month assessment, leaving eightpatients (n = 8) available for outcome analysis. The mean preoperative OKS in these 8 patients was 24.9 ± 4.2, improving to38.9 ± 2.9 postoperatively, a mean improvement of 14.0 ± 3.6 points (paired t-test, t = 10.92, df = 7, p < 0.0001). All 8patients achieved full knee range of motion at 6 months. One patient developed a postoperative knee haematoma, whichresolved conservatively. No recurrence was observed in any patient during the follow-up period. Conclusion: In this small,uncontrolled case series, arthroscopic excision of ACL ganglion cysts was associated with significant improvement inOxford Knee Score and full restoration of knee range of motion at 6 months, with a low complication rate and no recurrenceduring the study period. These preliminary findings support arthroscopic excision as a reasonable treatment option forsymptomatic ACL ganglion cysts; larger, controlled studies with longer follow-up are needed to confirm these results.