Discussion
ANTERIOR, COMPLICATION, COMPLICATIONS
This manuscript reports on the methodological design of the STACLR trial (Suture Tape Augmentation of Anterior Cruciate Ligament Reconstruction), the first randomised design prospective trial comparing suture tape-augmented ACL reconstruction to standard ACL reconstruction in adult patients. In this study, 2-year objective knee laxity, subjective patient-reported outcomes, complications and return to sport rates will be compared in patient treated with tape-augmented ACL reconstruction to those without. The hypothesis of the present study is that suture tape augmentation of ACL reconstruction will result in reduced side-to-side anterior tibial laxity at 2 years post-operative. Secondary hypotheses include an improvement in PROMs and equivalent complication profiles in tape-augmented grafts.There are several biomechanical studies comparing tape-augmented reconstruction to standard technique, whilst several animal studies and a scattering of retrospective nonrandomised clinical studies exist, all of which provide an established concept and lay the platform for future research. The most devastating complication of ACL reconstruction may be graft failure; however, owing to the sample size demanded, the present study will not feasibly investigate this, and it is important to note this when interpreting results. In a retrospective cohort study of tape augmentation in ACL reconstruction, Parkes et al. [Given the previous pitfalls of synthetic graft augmentation [