How to treat knee ligament injuries?

Indications for conservative treatment of knee ligament injuries can be established for all grade I or II sprains (partial tears), as well as isolated grade III sprains (complete tears) of the posterior cruciate ligament (PCL) and medial collateral ligament (MCL). These injuries should be treated with immediate mobilization. Only in isolated partial anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) tears without a positive pivot shift phenomenon is conservative treatment justified. However, many of these injuries may require operative reconstruction later. In complete ACL tears the surgical treatment consists of primary reconstruction or augmented primary repair. Today, the middle third of the patella tendon with the bone blocks is regarded as the "gold standard" for augmented repairs and late reconstructions. For the present, there is no place for synthetic prostheses in the treatment of an acute ACL rupture. Allograft replacement of the ACL must now be considered an experimental procedure. In the reconstruction of the PCL the above mentioned patella tendon graft is also preferable. Lateral collateral ligament (LCL) tears, especially if they are combined with ruptures of posterolateral ligament complex, should be repaired immediately after the injury. In these injuries late reconstructions are difficult and the results are poor. Conservative treatment of partial tears and postoperative treatment of reconstructed ligaments is twofold: on the one hand, the healing tissue should be protected and on the other hand, atrophy and wasting of uninjured tissue should be avoided. Overload and stretching of the injured ligaments should be eliminated with the aid of a suitable knee brace, but early range of motion exercises of the knee are allowed immediately.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)     

Untersuchungen über das Ligamentum pulmonale

Ohne Zusammenfassung über die Ergebnisse vorliegender Untersuchungen wurde am 30. VII. 32 auf der Mittelrheinischen Chirurgentagung in Freiburg i. Br. berichtet.     

Your diagnosis? Midfoot sprain: Lisfranc ligament disruption

Suspected midfoot sprains can be a challenge to evaluate when the initial weight-bearing views are normal. In this case, MRI allowed prompt confirmation of the suspected unstable Lisfranc ligament injury and contributed to prompt management with rigid fixation.     

Another new journal?

Editorial

Another new journal?     

Is ossification of posterior longitudinal ligament an enthesopathy?

The purpose of this study was to investigate the relationship of ossification of posterior longitudinal ligament (OPLL) with enthesis, the site where the posterior longitudinal ligament (PLL) attaches to the vertebral body, by multi-detector CT reconstruction images. Twenty-nine patients with OPLL were studied. According to the plaques’ continuity to the vertebral body, OPLL plaques were classified into two categories: “free” and “contiguous”. A “broken sign” was defined as a crack between two plaques. The sites where each “contiguous” plaque attached to the vertebral body were then analysed. There were 78 ossified plaques in total, and six were “free”. There were eight cases with a “broken sign”, including six “free” ones. The site where all 72 “contiguous” plaques attached to the vertebral body included the zone where the PLL enthesis was situated, while other zones were included in only part of the plaques. Our conclusion was that there might be no real “free type” ossified plaques, and OPLL could start from enthesis, which indicated OPLL could be a kind of enthesopathy.     

Über die Verkalkung des Ligamentum ilio-lumbale

Ohne Zusammenfassung     

Editorial Commentary: Arthroscopic Hip Ligamentum Teres Reconstruction—Reality or Mythology?

The ligamentum teres (LT) is perceived to contribute to hip stability and proprioception. LT incompetence can lead to pain and instability, which may play a role in chondral damage. Hip arthroscopy plays a role in diagnosing and treating LT tears. Reconstruction of the LT is feasible, but careful attention needs to be paid to tunnel positioning, graft material, graft length, and fixation methods. An anatomic femoral tunnel should exit at the fovea capitis on the femoral side, whereas the location for safe placement of the acetabular attachment is thought to be in the posteroinferior part of the cotyloid fossa. On the basis of a recent study, optimization of the acetabular tunnel can potentially be achieved by drilling from the femoral tunnel aided by 15° of abduction and 15° of internal rotation. The femoral neck-shaft angle and femoral anteversion must be factored in while planning the entry point of the femoral tunnel, and this may vary based on the amount of femoral head distraction during hip arthroscopy.     

Anterior cruciate ligament reconstruction: Which graft is best?

For the last 4 decades, since the initial use of the patellar tendon for anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) reconstruction, there has been controversy regarding the ideal graft choice for this procedure. Beside bone-patellar tendon-bone autografts, several other graft choices have become popular, including hamstring tendon and a variety of allografts. Within the past 5 years, several randomized and nonrandomized studies have compared the graft choices in ACL reconstruction. However, the question still remains: Is there an ideal graft for ACL reconstruction? The purpose of this review is to assess the most recent data, identifying if there truly is an ideal graft choice.     

Why do orthopaedic surgeons ignore the medial patellofemoral ligament?

The medial patellofemoral ligament (MPFL) is a condensation of the medial capsule of the knee joint. In the past two decades dissection studies have shown that it extends from the superomedial border of the patella to the femoral epicondyle, at or immediately above the adductor tubercle. MRI and operative studies have revealed that it is almost invariably damaged by lateral patellofemoral dislocation. Current surgical management of such dislocations may involve imbricating the torn medial capsule and parapatellar retinaculum back onto the medial border of the patella. If the medial patellofemoral ligament is torn at or near the femoral attachment, as the latest MRI and operative studies demonstrate it frequently is, then this medial reefing procedure will not be successful in restoring normal anatomy and function. Here we review the anatomy and function of the MPFL, its role in patellar dislocation and as well as surgical treatment for patellar dislocation.     

Scapholunate ligament injury occurring with scaphoid fracture--a rare coincidence?

In a retrospective study the results of a series 34 wrist arthroscopies in 189 acute scaphoid fractures were analysed. Scapholunate ligament tears were found in 13 cases. In 10 cases there was complete disruption of scapholunate interosseous ligament causing dynamic instability. Partial ligament tears without instability were seen in three cases. Despite the limitations of this series we conclude that occurrence of scapholunate ligament injury with a scaphoid fracture may be more common than generally thought.     

Thalidomide: new indications?

Thalidomide, which was developed as a nonbarbiturate sedative agent, was taken off the market in 1961 after it was linked to a spate of major birth defects. Gradually, thalidomide was reintroduced for the treatment of a few skin diseases including leprous erythema nodosum, severe mucosal ulcers (e.g., associated with HIV infection or Beh?et's disease), lymphocytic skin infiltrations, cutaneous lupus erythematosus, and chronic graft-versus-host disease. Recent reports of original pharmacological properties including modulation of cytokine production (mainly reduced TNF-alpha production) and inhibition of angiogenesis have led to the suggestion that thalidomide may be useful in some inflammatory and neoplastic conditions. Several open-label studies and case reports have described the effects of thalidomide in Crohn's disease, rheumatoid arthritis, ankylosing spondylarthritis, systemic sclerosis, and a few other systemic disorders. In these indications, minor but dose-limiting side effects were apparently common. Thalidomide analogs with better acceptability profiles are under evaluation. The anti-angiogenic effects of thalidomide may make this compound valuable as single-drug therapy or as an adjunct to chemotherapy in patients with cancer, particularly those with metastases or multiple myeloma. This possibility requires further evaluation.