Anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) repair using cortical or anchor fixation with suture tape augmentation vs ACL reconstruction: A comparative biomechanical analysis

BackgroundThe purpose was to compare knee kinematics in a cadaveric model of anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) repair using an adjustable-loop femoral cortical suspensory (AL-CSF) or independent bundle suture anchor fixation (IB-SAF) with suture tape augmentation to a bone-patellar tendon-bone (BPTB) ACL reconstruction.MethodsTwenty-seven cadaveric knees were randomly assigned to one of three surgical techniques: (1) ACL repair using the AL-CSF technique with suture tape augmentation, (2) ACL repair using the IB-SAF technique with suture tape augmentation, (3) ACL reconstruction using a BPTB autograft. Each specimen underwent three conditions according to the state of the ACL (native, proximal transection, repair/reconstruction) with each condition tested at four different angles of knee flexion (0°, 30°, 60°, 90°). Anterior tibial translation (ATT) and internal tibial rotation (ITR) were evaluated using 3-dimensional motion tracking software.ResultsACL transection resulted in a significant increase in ATT and ITR when compared to the native state (P < 0.001, respectively). ACL repair with the AL-CSF or IB-SAF technique as well as BPTB reconstruction restored native ATT and ITR at all tested angles of knee flexion, while showing significantly less ATT at 0°, 30°, 60°, and 90° as well as significantly less ITR at 30°, 60°, and 90° of knee flexion when compared to the ACL-deficient state. There were no significant differences in ATT and ITR between the three techniques utilized.ConclusionACL repair using the AL-CSF or IB-SAF technique with suture tape augmentation as well as BPTB ACL reconstruction each restored native anteroposterior and rotational laxity, without significant differences in knee kinematics between the three techniques utilized.Level of EvidenceControlled Laboratory Study.     

Technical evolution of arthoscopic knee surgery

The widespread growth of arthroscopic techniques and their use has dramatically changed the practice of orthopaedic surgery. A high degree of clinical accuracy and minimally invasive procedure with a low surgical morbidity have encouraged the use of arthroscopy to assist in diagnosis, to determine prognosis and to provide treatment. In particular, the knee is the proper joint in which arthroscopy has its diagnostic and intraarticular surgical application. The rapid advancement of arthroscopic techniques has demonstrated a variety of surgical techniques in procedures such as meniscectomy, meniscal repair and cruciate ligament reconstruction during the last decade. This article reviews the past history of arthroscopy and technical evolution of arthroscopy in knee surgery in our department.     

In vivo cultivation of human articular chondrocytes in a nude mouse-based contained defect organ culture model

The nude mouse model is an established method to cultivate and investigate tissue engineered cartilage analogues under in vivo conditions. One limitation of this common approach is the lack of appropriate surrounding articular tissues. Thus the bonding capacity of cartilage repair tissue cannot be evaluated. Widely applied surgical techniques in cartilage repair such as conventional and three-dimensional autologous chondrocyte implantation (ACI) based on a collagen gel matrix cannot be included into nude mouse studies, since their application require a contained defect. The aim of this study is to apply an organ culture defect model for the in vivo cultivation of different cell-matrix-constructs.Cartilage defects were created on osteochondral specimens which had been harvested from 10 human knee joints during total knee replacement. Autologous chondrocytes were isolated from the cartilage samples and cultivated in monolayer until passage 2. On each osteochondral block defects were treated either by conventional ACI or a collagen gel seeded with autologous chondrocytes, including a defect left empty as a control. The samples were implanted into the subcutaneous pouches of nude mice and cultivated for six weeks. After retrieval, the specimens were examined histologically, immunohistochemically and by cell morphology quantification.In both, ACI and collagen gel based defect treatment, a repair tissue was formed, which filled the defect and bonded to the adjacent tissues. The repair tissue was immature with low production of collagen type II. In both groups redifferentiation of chondrocytes remained incomplete. Different appearances of interface zones between the repair tissue and the adjacent cartilage were found.The presented contained defect organ culture model offers the possibility to directly compare different types of clinically applied biologic cartilage repair techniques using human articular tissues in a nude mouse model.     

软骨修复材料在运动性膝关节软骨损伤修复中的作用

背景：评价软骨修复材料在膝关节软骨损伤修复中的效果,为医务、科研工作者的研究提供一定的借鉴。 方法：采用电子检索的方式,在万方数据库(http://www.wanfangdata.com.cn/)中检索2000-01/2011-03关于修复材料在膝关节软骨损伤研究的文章,关键词为“生物材料;关节软骨;缺损;修复”。排除重复研究、普通综述或Meta分析类文章,筛选纳入26篇文献进行评价。 结果：膝关节软骨损伤在运动性损伤中较为常见,现在主要的治疗方法是自体骨软骨移植修复膝关节软骨缺损。新型的软骨替代材料研究仍处于动物试验阶段,且在动物体内长期疗效及远期的生物力学变化还未有进一步的证实,进入临床试验更需要一个过程。 结论：关节软骨损伤修复的基础研究与临床治疗,虽仍存在许多重点和难点问题亟待探索,但关节软骨损伤修复正从生物材料移植向人工再造活性软骨的崭新阶段迈进。随着各种新型材料的研制和开发,关节软骨损伤修复研究将日益完善,并为临床奠定坚实的基础,应用前景十分广阔。     

Toward tissue engineering of the knee meniscus

This review details current efforts to tissue engineer the knee meniscus successfully. The meniscus is a fibrocartilaginous tissue found within the knee joint that is responsible for shock absorption, load transmission, and stability within the knee joint. If this tissue is damaged, either through tears or degenerative processes, then deterioration of the articular cartilage can occur. Unfortunately, there is a dearth in the amount of work done to tissue engineer the meniscus when compared to other musculoskeletal tissues, such as bone. This review gives a brief overview of meniscal anatomy, biochemical properties, biomechanical properties, and wound repair techniques. The discussion centers primarily on the different components of attempting to tissue engineer the meniscus, such as scaffold materials, growth factors, animal models, and culturing conditions. Our approach for tissue engineering the meniscus is also discussed.     

Arthroscopically assisted repair of the medial collateral ligament of the knee: A case report,description of a new technique

Tears of the medial collateral ligament of the knee are common and often managed non-operatively [1]. Grade 3 tears that fail to heal are often treated with surgical repair through an open incision on the medial aspect of the knee.Many other ligament injuries of the knee are now managed with arthroscopic surgery. This has not yet been described for medial collateral ligament injuries of the knee.We describe a new arthroscopically assisted technique for MCL repair after grade III injury which avoids some of these complications.     

Clinical outcomes of medial meniscus posterior root repair: A midterm follow-up study

BackgroundTranstibial pullout repair of medial meniscus posterior root tears (MMPRTs) cannot prevent the progression of knee osteoarthritis. Conversions of knee arthroplasties are occasionally required following MMPRT repair. However, other knee-related surgical treatments following MMPRT repair are unclear. This study was aimed at investigating the midterm clinical outcomes and knee-related surgical events following MMPRT repair.MethodsPatients with MMPRT underwent pullout repair using FasT-Fix modified Mason-Allen (F-MMA) suturing with an all-inside meniscal repair device. Thirty-two patients with follow-up duration >2 years were enrolled. We assessed the clinical outcomes and postoperative surgical treatment of both knees.ResultsF-MMA pullout repair improved all clinical evaluation scores in patients with MMPRT at a mean follow-up of 36.1 months. Postoperative arthroscopic debridement was required for one patient. An additional MMPRT repair was performed in one patient on second-look arthroscopy. None of the patients required ipsilateral knee arthroplasty. In the contralateral knees, one pullout repair of a newly developed MMPRT and two knee arthroplasties were performed.ConclusionsThis study demonstrated that F-MMA pullout repair yielded satisfactory clinical outcomes. However, subsequent knee-related surgeries were observed in 6.3% of the pullout-repaired knees and 9.4% of the contralateral knees. Our results suggest that surgeons should be aware of the worsening and/or occurrence of contralateral knee joint disease, even when the postoperative clinical outcomes are satisfactory following MMPRT repair.Level of evidence: IV.     

An optimized medial parapatellar approach to the goat medial femoral condyle

Goats or sheep are the preferred animal model for the preclinical evaluation of cartilage repair techniques due to the similarity of the goat stifle joint to the human knee. The medial femoral condyle of the stifle joint is the preferred site for the assessment of articular cartilage repair, as this is the primary location for this type of lesion in the human knee. Proper surgical exposure of the medial femoral condyle is paramount to obtain reproducible results without surgical error. When applying the standard human medial arthrotomy technique on the goat stifle joint, there are some key aspects to consider in order to prevent destabilization of the extensor apparatus and subsequent postoperative patellar dislocations with associated animal discomfort. This paper describes a modified surgical technique to approach the medial femoral condyle of the caprine stifle joint. The modified technique led to satisfactory exposure without postoperative incidence of patellar luxations and no long‐term adverse effects on the joint.     

膝关节损伤修复后的生物力学分析

背景：对膝关节及膝关节韧带进行生物力学分析是防止膝关节损伤和治疗膝关节疾病的基础。 目的：总结膝关节损伤重建术中修复材料的应用进展及其修复后膝关节的生物力学特征。 方法：以“膝关节、韧带、半月板、生物材料、生物力学”为中文关键词,以“ tissue enginneering,articular cartilage,scaffold material,biomechanics” 为英文关键词,采用计算机检索中国期刊全文数据库、PubMed数据库相关文章。重点对修复后膝关节的生物力学特征进行了讨论。 结果与结论：生物力学研究证明膝关节后外侧结构在限制膝关节内翻,胫骨外旋、前移、后移有着重要作用。膝关节内韧带部分或完全断裂对股骨内髁生物力学特性均有不良影响,膝关节每条韧带又与其他韧带和组织协同完成某些方面的功能达到力学平衡,其中一条韧带断裂,平衡就会遭到破坏,各条韧带的应力分布将发生改变。膝关节的损伤类型与部位各有不同,修复与重建的材料与重建手段也各有不同,最终其生物力学表现特征各有不同。修复材料生物力学性能研究对于移植后膝关节生物塑形、愈合过程以及功能恢复都有很重要的作用。           

Anterior cruciate ligament repair versus reconstruction: A kinematic analysis

BackgroundThe purpose of this study was to compare the biomechanical properties of an anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) anatomic repair of a true femoral avulsion to an anatomic ACL reconstruction. It was hypothesized that the ACL repair and ACL reconstruction would have comparable biomechanical behavior when compared to the native knee.MethodsTen paired fresh-frozen cadaveric knees (n = 20) were used to investigate knee kinematics when an anterior drawer force, varus, valgus, internal, and external rotational moment were applied at 0, 15, 30, 45, 60, and 90 degrees of flexion. Displacement and rotation were recorded in the following conditions: ACL-intact, ACL-deficient, and ACL-repaired vs reconstructed.ResultsSectioning of the ACL significantly increased anterior tibial translation (0°, 15°, 30° and 45°) compared to the intact state. The mean anterior displacement difference from intact was lower in the ACL-repaired knees compared to reconstructed knees at 30° and 90°. There were no significant differences between conditions in varus, valgus, internal, or external rotations.ConclusionACL repair and ACL reconstruction procedures restored knee anterior tibial translation in matched paired specimens. There were no differences in valgus, varus, internal, or external rotation. Although, ACL-repaired knees (avulsion model) demonstrated less anterior tibial translation when compared to ACL-reconstructed knees, this difference was less than one millimeter. Based on the findings of this study, repair and reconstruction procedures both restored anterior tibial translation in matched-pair specimens. This suggests that the initial functionality of both techniques is similar and that further clinical studies are needed to compare the long-term stability.     

A novel surgical technique for arthroscopic repair of type II posterior lateral meniscal root tear

BackgroundSeveral suture repair techniques have been reported for radial tear close to the posterior lateral meniscal root (type II PLMRT). However, no study has evaluated the clinical results after repair using the FasT-Fix system. This paper describes a novel H-plasty surgical repair technique and reports its clinical results.MethodsFrom January 2015 to January 2017, 47 patients underwent repair of type II PLMRT with concomitant anterior cruciate ligament reconstruction and were included in this study. Assessments performed preoperatively and at final follow-up included the Lysholm score, subjective International Knee Documentation Committee (IKDC) score, and knee stability assessments (pivot-shift test, Lachman test, KNEELAX arthrometer side-to-side difference). Magnetic resonance imaging was used to compare the lateral meniscal extrusion pre- versus postoperatively. Second-look arthroscopy was performed to evaluate the meniscal healing in 38 cases.ResultsForty-seven patients were followed up for an average of 30.7 months (range 18–46 months). No patients experienced meniscal mechanical symptoms. At final follow-up, there were significant improvements in the Lysholm score, IKDC score, knee stability assessments, and lateral meniscal extrusion compared with the preoperative values. In the 38 of 47 patients that underwent second-look arthroscopy after an average of 17.5 months (range 14–19 months), all repairs (100%) were completely healed.ConclusionsThe novel H-plasty repair using the FasT-Fix system was an effective surgical treatment for type II PLMRT. Considering the satisfactory clinical results and the convenience of the surgery, H-plasty repair is recommended to be used preferentially.     

Poly-L-D-lactic acid scaffold in the repair of porcine knee cartilage lesions

Articular cartilage injuries cause a major clinical problem because of the negligible repair capacity of cartilage. Autologous chondrocyte transplantation is a surgical method developed to repair cartilage lesions. In the operation, cartilage defect is covered with a periosteal patch and the suspension of cultured autologous chondrocytes is injected into the lesion site. The method can form good repair tissue, but new techniques are needed to make the operation easier and to increase the postoperative biomechanical properties of the repair tissue. In this study, we investigated poly-L,D-lactic acid (PLDLA) scaffolds alone or seeded with autologous chondrocytes in the repair of circular 6-mm cartilage lesions in immature porcine knee joints. Spontaneous repair was used as a reference. Histologic evaluation of the repair tissue showed that spontaneous repair exhibited higher scores than either PLDLA scaffold group (with or without seeded chondrocytes). The scaffold material was most often seen embedded in the subchondral bone underneath the defect area, probably because of the hardness of the PLDLA material. However, some of the cell-seeded and nonseeded scaffolds contained cartilaginous tissue, suggesting that invasion of mesenchymal cells inside nonseeded scaffolds had occurred. Hyaluronan deposited in the scaffold had possibly acted as a chemoattractant for the cell recruitment. In conclusion, the PLDLA scaffold material used in this study was obviously mechanically too hard to be used for cartilage repair in immature animals.     

运动性膝关节损伤重建交叉韧带的生物材料：选择与优劣分析

目的：分析不同生物材料对膝关节运动损伤后交叉韧带重建的优势和缺陷,为膝关节运动损伤后交叉韧带重建与生物材料的选择临床应用提供理论依据。 方法：由作者应用计算机检索维普数据库中与人工合成膝关节韧带有关的文献,检索时限为1987-01/2010-09。检索关键词：膝交叉韧带,运动,韧带修复,韧带重建,人工合成材料。纳入选取针对性强,相关度高的文献。排除较陈旧的文献及重复性研究。对16条文献资料进行分析。 结果：膝关节交叉韧带的重建修复材料主要有包括自体移植物、同种异体移植物和人工韧带。三种材料在临床应用中都存在各自的优势和缺陷及适用范围。 结论：膝关节运动损伤膝关节交叉韧带的重建在材料选择方面,应该从个体化的、不同年龄、不同受伤机制、不同术后要求方面进行最佳材料的选择。     

Combined quadriceps lengthening (using an external ring fixator) and patellar tendon reconstruction (using a tendoachilles allograft) in a case of chronic patellar tendon rupture: A case report

BackgroundPatellar tendon rupture is an infrequent and debilitating condition, which if left untreated, is complicated by quadriceps contracture and patella alta. This results in reduced function of the knee extensor mechanism including extension lag, reduced range of motion (ROM), chronic knee pain, and frequent falls. Early primary repair has good results in most cases and is performed by opposing and suturing the tendon ends. However, when there is a delay between rupture and repair or in case of a re-rupture, primary repair techniques may not work due to retraction of the extensor mechanism. Several treatment modalities have been proposed in such cases, but there is no clear consensus.MethodologyWe present the case of a 39-year-old male with chronic rupture of patellar tendon that was reconstructed with a two-stage technique. In the first stage, a ring-fixator was applied to stretch the quadriceps muscle and the second stage consisted of reconstruction of the patellar tendon with a tendoachilles allograft. This procedure was performed in two stages five weeks apart and almost four years after the initial injury.ResultsResults were excellent at three years' follow-up with the patient achieving full extension, a ROM of 0–110° and 85% quadriceps strength. There was significant improvement in his pain, mobility and quadriceps bulk.ConclusionTo our knowledge, this treatment has not previously been described in the literature. We present this case as a proven treatment option for treatment of chronic patellar tendon injuries with extensor mechanism shortening.     

Repair of articular cartilage and clinical outcome after osteotomy with microfracture or abrasion arthroplasty for medial gonarthrosis

This study compared the healing of articular cartilage and the clinical outcome after osteotomy with or without marrow stimulation microfracture or abrasion arthroplasty for osteoarthritis of the knee. Patients with osteoarthritis of the medial compartment of the knee were divided into a group undergoing high tibial osteotomy alone (HTO group: 37 knees), a group undergoing osteotomy plus microfracture (MF group: 26 knees), and a group undergoing osteotomy plus abrasion arthroplasty (AA group: 51 knees). The extent of cartilage repair was compared at 1 year after surgery by arthroscopy with reference to Outerbridge's classification, while the clinical outcome was compared at 1, 3, and 5 years postoperatively. Second-look arthroscopy revealed better repair of the femoral condylar cartilage in the AA group than the HTO group (p < 0.0005) or MF group (p < 0.01), with no difference between the HTO and MF groups. Repair of the tibial condylar cartilage was also better in the AA group than the HTO group (p < 0.005), but there was no difference between the AA and MF groups or the MF and HTO groups. There were no differences of the clinical outcome between the three groups. In conclusion, repair of articular cartilage at 1 year postoperatively was accelerated by abrasion arthroplasty, but not by microfracture. However, there was no difference of the clinical outcome within 5 years after surgery, so the clinical utility of marrow stimulation techniques was not apparent in this study.     

膝关节半月板损伤与骨髓基质干细胞

背景：骨髓基质干细胞移植是解决软骨组织缺损最有前景的手段之一,骨髓基质干细胞也成为软骨组织修复应用较广泛的重要种子细胞。 目的：分析骨髓基质干细胞在半月板损伤和软骨损伤方面的应用情况,为膝关节半月板损伤的修复和治疗提供理论参考。 方法：由第一、二作者共同检索1997/2011PubMed数据库及清华同方数据库,中文关键词为“骨髓间充质干细胞,膝关节半月板损伤”,英文关键词为“bone marrow stromal cells;knee joint meniscus injury”。纳入骨髓基质干细胞修复膝关节半月板损伤的相关文献26篇进行分析。 结果与结论：骨髓基质干细胞在治疗和修复膝关节半月板损伤方面具有独到的优势,包括其损伤面较小,方便易行,没有后遗症,并克服了切除半月板引起的形态和生物功能的改变,避免了因异体材料移植引起的膝载荷传导紊乱和晚期骨性关节炎发病的可能,与保留半月板修复其功能的临床治疗理念较为接近,并成为当前和今后治疗与修复膝关节半月板损伤的新思路。在其修复治疗的过程中,其关键问题在于一方面如何获得大量纯化的骨髓基质干细胞并在体外定向诱导为半月板软骨表型的细胞,另一方面是诱导分化的确切机制研究。关键词：骨髓基质干细胞;膝关节;半月板损伤;康复;诱导分化 doi:10.3969/j.issn.1673-8225.2012.14.029     

双股钢丝前交叉韧带前后挤夹固定修复胫骨嵴撕脱骨折

 背景：常规开放外科修复治疗膝关节损伤对患者造成的创伤较大,植入物固定后恢复较慢,且大多会出现膝关节功能恢复不佳的情况。目的：分析关节镜下行双股钢丝前交叉韧带前后挤夹固定修复胫骨嵴撕脱骨折的随访效果。方法：回顾性分析23例胫骨嵴撕脱骨折患者的临床资料,均实施关节镜下行双股钢丝前交叉韧带前后挤夹固定治疗。固定后随访1-6个月,观察患者的近中期治疗效果和治疗前后膝关节IKDC评分和Lysholm评分变化情况,并进行分析。结果与结论：所有患者均获得6个月随访,治疗后1个月的优良率为87%,治疗后6个月为96%。较之治疗前,治疗后23例患者的膝关节IKDC评分和Lysholm评分均显著提高(P < 0.05),提示患者的膝关节功能得到显著的改善。患者的内固定时间为35-65 min,固定中未出现血管神经和前交叉韧带损伤等并发症,固定后未出现感染等生物相容性不良的反应。 中国组织工程研究杂志出版内容重点：组织构建;骨细胞;软骨细胞;细胞培养;成纤维细胞;血管内皮细胞;骨质疏松;组织工程     

Novel repair of a quadriceps tendon rupture after a total knee arthroplasty using gracilis and semitendinosus autografts

BackgroundMultiple techniques have been described for repair of quadriceps tendon rupture after total knee arthroplasty (TKA) with unsatisfactory outcomes. We present a novel technique for repair using hamstring tendon autografts.MethodsA 54 year-old morbidly obese patient presented five months after quadriceps tendon rupture. Direct repair was performed using two anchors in the patella in addition to augmentation with semitendinosus and gracilis tendon autografts.ResultsSatisfactory outcomes were achieved with no residual pain and ability to perform a straight leg raise at three weeks postoperatively. There was no extensor lag at five weeks postoperatively.ConclusionsMost previous reports of a similar complication were treated using synthetic materials. Using hamstring tendon autografts as described in this report provides an alternative surgical option for reconstruction of quadriceps tendon rupture in the setting of TKA, with potentially favorable outcomes and minimal donor site morbidity. Further studies are needed to evaluate long-term outcome of this procedure and to delineate the gold standard of treatment.     

Preoperative morphologic changes of the medial meniscus correlate with suture translations during knee flexion in pullout repair of medial meniscus posterior root tear

BackgroundMedial meniscus (MM) translates and extrudes posteriorly during knee flexion in MM posterior root tear (MMPRT) knees, and transtibial pullout repair of MMPRT has been performed to regulate the MM extrusion. This study aimed to calculate each suture translation during knee flexion in transtibial pullout repair of MMPRT, and to investigate the morphologic features of the MM that lead to longer suture translations during knee flexion.MethodsThirty patients with MMPRT who met the operative indication of pullout repair were enrolled and investigated prospectively. Pullout repair was performed by using two simple stitches (outer and inner sutures) and an all-inside suture in the posteromedial part of the MM. Each suture’s translation from 0° to 90° of knee flexion was measured intraoperatively. The MM morphologic features, including MM medial extrusion (MMME) and MM posterior height (MMPH), were measured using preoperative magnetic resonance imaging, and the correlation between these values and each suture translation was evaluated.ResultsThe average outer, inner, and all-inside suture translations were 4.8 mm, 3.9 mm, and 1.3 mm, respectively. Significant correlations were observed between the outer suture translation and MMME, and MMPH (p < 0.001 and <0.01, respectively). The thresholds for preoperative MMME and MMPH for longer outer suture translations (≥6 mm) were 2.1 mm and 5.4 mm, respectively.ConclusionsPreoperative longer MMME and higher MMPH were associated with longer meniscus translations during knee flexion during MMPRT repair.     

高屈曲状态下膝关节静力稳定结构的生物力学研究进展

膝关节高屈曲状态在亚洲国家和中东地区的日常生活及特殊职业中极为常见。膝关节静力稳定结构包括前、后交叉韧带,内、外侧副韧带及关节囊,其主要功能是维持关节稳定性,其生物力学和运动学特点对全膝置换术中软组织松解、膝关节韧带重建及损伤后的康复具有重要意义。本文对近年来膝关节生物力学的研究方法及静力稳定结构在膝关节由伸直到高屈曲运动过程中的生物力学特点进行了阐述;对今后全膝置换术中软组织平衡、膝关节韧带修复与重建及伤后与术后康复方面的研究方向进行了展望和预测。