Editorial Commentary: Meniscal Cartilage Suture in the Anterior Cruciate Ligament Reconstructed Knee; To Absorb or Not to Absorb: That Is the Question

When considering repair of the meniscal cartilages of the knee, the indications for repair must be carefully considered. The morphology of the tear, the zone of injury, and likely vascularity have an impact on patient selection. Patient factors, chronicity of tear, medial or lateral tear, and tear complexity all have a bearing on whether to repair or resect and how best to achieve stable repair. The consequences of meniscectomy are well established, and meniscal tissue resection comes at a cost. The success rates of meniscal cartilage repair are greater when performed in conjunction with anterior cruciate ligament reconstruction. Patient outcomes are better for anterior cruciate ligament reconstruction when performed with meniscal repair than when partial meniscectomy is performed. The optimal configuration of sutures, the suture material used, and the type of suture technique are all important considerations. The focus of this commentary is on the use of absorbable versus nonabsorbable suture material.     

Editorial Commentary: Arthroscopic Ankle Arthrodesis Requires Intraoperative Deformity Correction: Size of the Deformity Is Not the Primary Determinant of Outcome

Traditional teaching has told us that arthroscopic ankle arthrodesis is reserved for those patients with severe osteoarthrosis but minimal deformity. However, it is not the size of the deformity that matters; rather, it is the ability to correct the deformity intraoperatively that leads to satisfactory results. Preoperative identification of those patients with significant deformity that can be corrected with an arthroscopic approach would allow for improved selection and likely lead to better patient-reported outcomes and fewer complications.     

Editorial Commentary: Arthroscopic Release of Severe Elbow Contracture Is Safe and Effective: It Can Be Done,and It Should Be Done

The surgical management of elbow contracture remains a challenging proposition, and both open and arthroscopic approaches have been described with varying degrees of success. In particular, previous series involving severe cases have left much to be desired in terms of clinical outcomes and complication rates. Herein lies an opportunity for innovation via alternative, arthroscopic approaches. In the hands of a single senior surgeon, arthroscopic elbow contracture release can be accomplished, even in the setting of severe, post-traumatic cases, with an expectation for substantial improvements in the arc of motion and comparable, if not better, complication rates than reported previously in other series. However, concerns regarding the reproducibility of these results persist and should compel future efforts to prove that these techniques can yield similar results among a group of surgeons.