Anterior Cruciate Ligament Patients Research Articles

Is Posterior Tibial Slope and Mechanism of Failure Crucial for an Anatomically Reconstructed Primary Hamstring Graft Anterior Cruciate Ligament?

Purpose Native anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) failure is multifactorial with tibial slope identified as a crucial risk factor. The aim was to examine relation between lateral posterior tibial slope (LTPS) and failed ACL primary reconstruction by negating the associated risk factors such as tunnel position, gender, and graft types based on the mechanism of failure. Materials and Methods Our retrospective study included 102 patients, diagnosed as failed primary anterior cruciate ligament reconstruction (ACLR). The LPTS was measured on lateral radiographs and the tunnel position assessed by magnetic resonance imaging on both femoral, tibial side by two musculoskeletal radiologists. We compared the slopes in patients based on their mechanism of failure. Results The mean LPTS in patients with anatomically placed tunnel (9.28° ± 3.5°; range, 4°–18°) was significantly higher than the rest (7.7° ± 2.9°; range, 3°–15°; P = 0.01). There was a significant association of higher tibial slope in graft rupture due to contact mechanism of failure (P = 0.02). LPTS was not significantly associated with noncontact mechanism of failure. Conclusion LTPS is a significant risk factor for failure in hamstring graft reconstructed ACL patients with optimally placed tunnels. LPTS ≥10° increases the risk of hamstring graft failure due to contact mechanism.

Meniscal procedures are not increased with delayed ACL reconstruction and rehabilitation: results from a randomised controlled trial

ObjectiveTo assess whether initial non-operative treatment of anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) ruptures with optional delayed ACL reconstruction leads to more meniscal procedures compared with early ACL reconstruction during the 2-year...

Beyond guidelines: A qualitative clinical stakeholder study of optimal management of anterior cruciate ligament rehabilitation.

This study gathered expert perspectives in the management of anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) rehabilitation to explore current practice, variations in care and optimal management strategies. This was a qualitative semi-structured interview study. The participants' experiences were considered in terms of their roles as employees, managers, clinicians and professional gatekeepers. Purposive and snowball sampling were used to recruit physiotherapists and orthopaedic surgeons. Participants were included if they had a proven record in clinical management or research involving ACL patients. Persons were excluded if they could not speak English. Interviews were conducted in person, via skype or over the phone at a time convenient to the participant. Data was analysed using a framework analysis and critical realist approach. Results included 24 interviews that were conducted with 19 physiotherapists and 5 surgeons. Themes of variation in current care and optimal care were explored including subthemes of patient centred practice, evidence based medicine, resources, self-management, multidisciplinary teamwork, training and expertise were explored. Participant's perceptions of current care were that it was a location 'lottery' that significantly varied for patients across the UK. Stakeholders identified that optimal management should be patient centred and incorporate adequate equipment, specific training for physiotherapists and a closely communicating multidisciplinary team. Research is needed to explore cost effective models of optimal rehabilitation that include return to sport strategies.

A comparison of multi-ligament reconstruction and isolated anterior cruciate ligament reconstruction at one year follow-up: results from the Danish Knee Ligament Reconstruction Registry

IntroductionThe Danish Knee Ligament Reconstruction Registry (DKRR) has monitored the outcomes of surgeries for multi-ligament knee injuries (MLKI) since 2005. This study aimed to compare the subjective clinical outcomes of patients who had undergone surgery after MLKI with those of patients who had received isolated anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) reconstruction.Materials and methodsThis study used patient-reported outcome scores at 1-year follow-up as the primary outcome and contains the outcome data of knee ligament surgeries retrieved from the DKRR. Clinical subjective outcomes and knee function were evaluated with Knee Injury and Osteoarthritis Outcome Scores (KOOS) and Tegner Activity Scale (Tegner) scores. Demographic differences were examined using the Student’s t-test and the chi-square test. Multiple linear regression was used to analyse the data and adjust for potentially confounding factors. P-values < 0.05 were considered to be statistically significant.ResultsA total of 31,686 knee ligament surgeries were registered in the DKRR between 2005 and 2017, resulting in 1,160 multi-ligament patients and 28,843 isolated ACL patients. The mean age of the MLKI group was significantly higher than that of the isolated ACL group (33.2 years [95% CI 32.5–33.9] vs. 28.3 years [95% CI 28.1–28.4]).The adjusted KOOS Sport and Quality of Life (QoL) sub-scores and Tegner scores of the MLKI group significantly improved from the baseline to the 1-year follow-up (16.7 points [95%CI 12.8;20.6], 12.6 points [95%CI 9.6;15.6] and 1.76 points [95%CI 1.43;2.08], respectively). The KOOS Sport and QoL sub-scores of the isolated ACL group were significant and increased more than those of the MLKI group. No differences in the Tegner scores were observed.ConclusionsSurgical reconstruction after multi-ligament knee injury resulted in significant subjective outcome improvements at 1- year follow-up. The KOOS Sport and QoL sub-scores of the isolated ACL group significantly increased compared to those of the MLKI group.

Reinjury Rates in Adolescent Patients 2 Years Following ACL Reconstruction

Background: Sports injuries have increased dramatically in the pediatric and adolescent population. Return-to-sport testing and criteria are increasingly utilized, however, the guidelines for return to play in adolescents are unclear. The purpose of this study was to compare strength and function at the time of the return-to-sport progression to those with and without a failed anterior cruciate ligament reconstruction (ACLR). Methods: A total of 105 adolescent patients with primary ACLR were assessed at the time of return to sport. We identified graft failures/contralateral injury through medical records, clinic visits, or phone interviews at minimum 2 years of postsurgical follow-up. All patients completed bilateral isokinetic strength tests of the knee extensor/flexor groups and hop tests. Strength was expressed as torque-normalized-to-mass (Nm/kg), and limb-symmetry-index was expressed as a percentage of the uninvolved limb’s strength. All patients completed outcome surveys. The χ2 analysis was used to compare failures between sexes and graft types. Independent sample t tests were used to compare knee extensor/flexor strength, symmetry, and hop test results between patients with and without secondary anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) injury. One-way analysis of variance was used to compare knee extensor/flexor strength and symmetry, hop test, and survey results between those (1) without secondary injury, (2) ACLR graft failure, and (3) contralateral ACL injury. Results: A total of 100 of 105 patients (95.2%) were included with 4±1.2 years of follow-up, with 28 (28%) sustaining subsequent injury (12% graft, 16% contralateral). Patients with graft failure demonstrated (1) stronger quadriceps strength (2.00±0.46 Nm/kg) compared with those with contralateral ACL injury (1.58±0.35 Nm/kg, P=0.039) and patients that did not have a secondary injury (1.58±0.44 Nm/kg, P=0.007), (2) greater quadriceps strength symmetry (85.7±0.11.2%) compared with patients without secondary injury ACL (72.9±17.9%, P=0.046), (3) a greater proportion of hamstring grafts compared with those without reinjury (P=0.028). Conclusions: Adolescent patients who sustained ACLR graft failure had greater and more symmetric quadriceps strength at the time of return to sport compared with patients with no secondary injury. Objective measures of quadriceps strength at the time of the return-to-sport progression may not solely identify individuals that have a secondary ACL injury. Study Design: Level IV—retrospective cohort study.

Which assessments are used to analyze neuromuscular control by electromyography after an anterior cruciate ligament injury to determine readiness to return to sports? A systematic review

BackgroundAdequate neuromuscular control of the knee could be one element to prevent secondary injuries after an anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) injury. To assess neuromuscular control in terms of time, amplitude and activity, electromyography (EMG) is used. However, it is unclear which assessments using EMG could be used for a safe return to sports (RTS). Therefore, we aimed to summarize EMG-related assessments for neuromuscular control of the knee in adult patients after an ACL injury to decide upon readiness for RTS.MethodsThis systematic review followed guidelines of Preferred Reporting of Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA) and Cochrane recommendations. MEDLINE/PubMed, EMBASE, CINAHL, Cochrane Library, Physiotherapy Evidence Database (PEDro), SPORTDiscus and the Web of Science were searched from inception to March 2019 and updated in November 2020. Studies identifying electromyographic assessments for neuromuscular control during dynamic tasks in adult, physically active patients with an anterior cruciate ligament injury were eligible and qualitatively synthesized. Two independent reviewers used a modified Downs and Black checklist to assess risk of bias of included studies.ResultsFrom initially 1388 hits, 38 mainly cross-sectional, case-controlled studies were included for qualitative analysis. Most studies provided EMG outcomes of thigh muscles during jumping, running or squatting. Outcomes measures described neuromuscular control of the knee in domains of time, amplitude or activity. Risk of bias was medium to high due to an unclear description of participants and prior interventions, confounding factors and incompletely reported results.ConclusionsDespite a wide range of EMG outcome measures for neuromuscular control, none was used to decide upon return to sports in these patients. Additional studies are needed to define readiness towards RTS by assessing neuromuscular control in adult ACL patients with EMG. Further research should aim at finding reliable and valid, EMG-related variables to be used as diagnostic tool for neuromuscular control. Moreover, future studies should aim at more homogenous groups including adequately matched healthy subjects, evaluate gender separately and use sport-specific tasks.Registration The protocol for this systematic review was indexed beforehand in the International Prospective Register of Systematic Reviews (PROSPERO) and registered as CRD42019122188.

Changes of electroencephalography power spectrum during joint position perception test after anterior cruciate ligament rupture

OBJECTIVE To measure the electroencephalography (EEG) of the patients with anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) rupture when performing joint position perception movement task, to compare the differences between the ACL rupture side and the unaffected side, to identify the EEG change in the power spectrum caused by the ACL rupture, and to provide evidence for the diagnosis, treatment and rehabi-litation for ACL injury as well as knee instability. METHODS Sixteen male patients, selected from the Department of Sports Medicine, Peking University Third Hospital from November 2014 to April 2015, with only ACL rupture on one side used isokinetic muscle strength testing equipment were enrolled in the study to perform unilateral active knee joint positional movement and passive knee joint positional movement tasks. EEG was recorded to compare between the affected and unaffected limb of ACL rupture patients when doing single leg movement tasks, including passive knee joint position test and active knee joint position sensation test. The target position of the active knee joint position movement task and the passive knee joint position movement task was 30 degrees of knee flexion. RESULTS During the passive knee joint position test, there was no significant difference in EEG power spectrum of Delta[F (1, 15)=0.003, P=0.957, ηP2 =0.001], Theta[F (1, 15)=0.002, P=0.962, ηP2 < 0.001], Alpha[F (1, 15)=0.002, P=0.966, ηP2 =0.001], Beta[F (1, 15)=0.008, P=0.929, ηP2 =0.001] at Fz, Cz, and Pz between the affected and unaffected limbs in the ACL patients. During the active knee joint position movement task, the EEG power spectrum of Delta, Theta, Alpha, Beta at Fz and Cz location, on the affected side was significant higher than on the unaffected side. CONCLUSION This study compared the differences between the ACL rupture side and the unaffected side during active knee position movement task and passive knee position movement task, and identifyied the EEG changes in the power spectrum caused by the ACL rupture, It was found that the central changes caused by unilateral ACL rupture still existed during contralateral (unaffected) side movement. The EEG power spectrum of the affected side during active exercise was significantly higher than that of the unaffected side This study provides new electrophysiological evidence for the study of ACL injury.

ACL reconstruction, medial meniscus repair and high tibial osteotomy done as a single stage procedure in a case of neglected ACL and partial medial meniscus tear with a subsequent varus knee: A case report

A long standing anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) tear causes progressive degenerative changes in the knee. This leads to secondary meniscal lesions, cartilage degenerative changes and subsequent varus angulation.A 27 year old male footballer presented to us with a traumatic right knee pain and swelling with recurrent instability, since 8 years. On examination there was knee laxity with an obvious varus deformity of the right leg. Radiographs showed medical compartment osteoarthritis and MRI was suggestive of a chronic ACL and medial meniscus tear. A single step salvage procedure of ACL reconstruction, medial meniscus repair and valgus producing high tibial osteotomy (HTO) was done for this patient. Post operatively there was no knee laxity and instability. At one year follow up, the patient had a satisfactory outcome with a painless and complete knee range of motion and had full weight bearing.In this case report we have shown how a single step salvage procedures with biological reconstructions can be done for patients with chronic ACL and medial meniscus tear patients with varus angulation, with a good outcome. Hence, simultaneous reconstructions of the ACL and medial meniscus with HTO can be used as a novel management technique to delay arthroplasty in young patients with unstable arthritic knees.

Deep Learning-Based Magnetic Resonance Imaging Image Features for Diagnosis of Anterior Cruciate Ligament Injury.

To study and explore the adoption value of magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) in the diagnosis of anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) injuries, a multimodal feature fusion model based on deep learning was proposed for MRI diagnosis. After the related performance of the proposed algorithm was evaluated, it was utilized in the diagnosis of knee joint injuries. Thirty patients with knee joint injuries who came to our hospital for treatment were selected, and all patients were diagnosed with MRI based on deep learning multimodal feature fusion model (MRI group) and arthroscopy (arthroscopy group). The results showed that deep learning-based MRI sagittal plane detection had a great advantage and a high accuracy of 96.28% in the prediction task of ACL tearing. The sensitivity, specificity, and accuracy of MRI in the diagnosis of ACL injury was 96.78%, 90.62%, and 92.17%, respectively, and there was no considerable difference in contrast to the results obtained through arthroscopy (P > 0.05). The positive rate of acute ACL patients with bone contusion and medial collateral ligament injury was substantially superior to that of chronic injury. Moreover, the incidence of chronic injury ACL injury with meniscus tear and cartilage injury was notably higher than that of acute injury, with remarkable differences (P < 0.05). In summary, MRI images based on deep learning improved the sensitivity, specificity, and accuracy of ACL injury diagnosis and can accurately determined the type of ACL injury. In addition, it can provide reference information for clinical treatment plan selection and surgery and can be applied and promoted in clinical diagnosis.

Responsiveness of Impairment-based Outcome Measures in Individuals With Anterior Cruciate Ligament Reconstruction Following Physiotherapy

Objective: The primary purpose of physiotherapy in patients with Anterior Cruciate Ligament (ACL) reconstruction is to reduce pain, improve Range of Motion (ROM), muscle strength, and balance after surgery. Thus, therapists need outcome measurement tools with acceptable validity, reproducibility, and responsiveness to assess these changes after the intervention. This study investigates the responsiveness of the tools used to measure pain, ROM, knee muscle strength, and dynamic balance. We also want to determine minimal clinically significant change for these outcomes in patients with ACL reconstruction after physiotherapy. Materials &amp; Methods: The study participants were 54 young patients with ACL reconstruction evaluated using impairment-based outcome measures of visual analog scale, goniometer, hand-held dynamometer, and Star Excursion Balance Test (SEBT) at baseline (2 weeks after ACL reconstruction ) and 4 weeks after physiotherapy. At the second phase of evaluation, the participants also completed the 7-point global change rating scale. For assessing the responsiveness of the tools, we used the Receiver Operating Characteristics (ROC) curve and correlation analysis Results: Analyzing the ROC curve showed that the knee extension ROM, quadriceps and hamstring strength, and medial and posteromedial directions under SEBT had acceptable responsiveness (&gt;0.70). The Spearman correlation coefficient between the scores obtained for these outcomes and the score of 7-point global change rating scale were significant in the range of 0.36-0.51. For all the study outcome measurement tools, minimal significant clinical changes were reported. Conclusion: The results of this study support the responsiveness of goniometer for knee extension ROM, hand-held dynamometer for quadriceps and hamstring strength, and SEBT for dynamic balance at medial and posteromedial directions in the assessment of clinical changes in patients with ACL reconstruction. The reported minimal significant clinical changes for each tool can help the clinicians and researchers to decide on determining the actual significant change in the ACL patient’s clinical conditions after physiotherapy.

Texture analysis to differentiate anterior cruciate ligament in patients after surgery with platelet-rich plasma

BackgroundPlatelet-rich plasma (PRP) has been used to favor anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) healing after reconstruction surgeries. However, clinical data are still inconclusive and subjective about PRP. Thus, we propose a quantitative method to demonstrate that PRP produced morphological structure changes.MethodsThirty-four patients undergoing ACL reconstruction surgery were evaluated and divided into control group (sixteen patients) without PRP application and experiment group (eighteen patients) with intraoperative application of PRP. Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) scans were performed 3 months after surgery. We used Matlab® and machine learning (ML) in Orange Canvas® to texture analysis (TA) features extraction. Experienced radiologists delimited the regions of interest (RoIs) in the T2-weighted images. Sixty-two texture parameters were extracted, including gray-level co-occurrence matrix and gray level run length. We used the algorithms logistic regression (LR), naive Bayes (NB), and stochastic gradient descent (SGD).ResultsThe accuracy of the classification with NB, LR, and SGD was 83.3%, 75%, 75%, respectively. For the area under the curve, NB, LR, and SGD presented values of 91.7%, 94.4%, 75%, respectively. In clinical evaluations, the groups show similar responses in terms of improvement in pain and increase in the IKDC index (International Knee Documentation Committee) and Lysholm score indices differing only in the assessment of flexion, which presents a significant difference for the group treated with PRP.ConclusionsHere, we demonstrated quantitatively that patients who received PRP presented texture changes when compared to the control group. Thus, our findings suggest that PRP interferes with morphological parameters of the ACL.Trial registrationProtocol no. CAAE 56164316.6.0000.5411.

Differences in Knee Shape between ACL Injured and Non-Injured: A Matched Case-Control Study of 168 Patients.

Objective: Anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) injury prevention programs could be more effective if we could select patients at risk for sustaining an ACL rupture. The purpose of this study is to identify radiographic shape variants of the knee between patients with and patients without an ACL rupture. Methods: We compared the lateral and Rosenberg view X-rays of 168 prospectively followed patients with a ruptured ACL to a control group with intact ACLs, matched for gender, after knee trauma. We used statistical shape modeling software to examine knee shape and find differences in shape variants between both groups. Results: In the Rosenberg view X-rays, we found five shape variants to be significantly different between patients with an ACL rupture and patients with an intact ACL but with knee trauma. Overall, patients who had ruptured their ACL had smaller, flatter intercondylar notches, a lower lateral tibia plateau, a lower medial spike of the eminence, and a smaller tibial eminence compared to control patients. Conclusion: Patients with an ACL rupture have smaller intercondylar notches and smaller tibial eminences in comparison to patients with an intact ACL after knee trauma.

Differences in Access to Outpatient Care in the State of Ohio for an Orthopaedic Sports Medicine Patient

PurposeTo evaluate the impact of either Medicaid or private insurance on securing an appointment in an outpatient orthopaedic clinic and to determine waiting periods until an appointment as well as the relationship between population metrics and access to care.MethodsA total of 88 clinics were called. There were 2 fictitious patients, one with an anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) injury and the other with a medial meniscus injury, with each calling as having Medicaid or private insurance. Clinic responses were recorded for whether an appointment could be made, when it was scheduled, and with what provider.ResultsA total of 32 of 88 (36.4%) of the clinics scheduled an appointment for the Medicaid patient reporting an ACL injury versus 71 of 88 (80.6%) of the clinics that scheduled an appointment for the same patient with private insurance. A total of 34 of 88 (38.6%) of the clinics scheduled an appointment for the Medicaid patient reporting a medial meniscus injury versus 71 of 88 (80.6%) of the clinics that scheduled an appointment for the same patient with private insurance. Mean waiting period for ACL patients with Medicaid was 8.6 days and 4.5 days for patients with private insurance, whereas medial meniscus patients with Medicaid was 7.7 days and 5.4 days for patients with private insurance. In total, 60 of the 66 (90.9%) patients with Medicaid who received an appointment were scheduled to see the orthopaedic surgeon (30 in both ACL and medial meniscus groups). In total, 126 (71.6%) patients with Medicaid and 34 (19.3%) patients with private insurance of the 176 encounters faced barriers to scheduling an appointment. Rural communities were associated with appointment acceptance for patients with Medicaid (P < .05), and patients with private insurance had successful appointment scheduling in all community types (P < .05).ConclusionsThis study suggests that patients with Medicaid are less likely to receive orthopaedic care for multiple sports medicine injuries, are more likely to encounter barriers, and endure longer waiting periods. There are different patterns of insurance acceptance according to population metrics.Clinical RelevanceServes as a baseline evaluation of the difference in access to health care that may be impacted by increases in Medicaid coverage and/or changes in government policies.

Use of the normalcy index for the assessment of abnormal gait in the anterior cruciate ligament deficiency combined with meniscus injury

The normalcy index (NI) has been implemented by several studies as a simple index for quantitatively analyzing diffident gait abnormalities, such as children with cerebral palsy and idiopathic toe-walkers. However, whether the NI can be used in anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) deficiency with different types of meniscus injuries or not, has not been reported yet. In this study, 25 patients who combined different types of ACL and meniscus injuries were evaluated by the NI analysis. 12 healthy subjects were used to define the normal range of NI. The result showed that NI values of patients were significantly larger than the control group (P < 0.05). Meanwhile, the tendency of increasing NI values associated with increasing pathology were significant with only 5 subjects in the smallest group (Jonkheere-Terpsta test: P < 0.001). These results indicated that the NI was a concise yet effective tool to evaluate combined ACL and meniscus injury patients. Increasing severity degree of meniscus tears in ACL rupture patients is corresponded to increasing NI values. It also demonstrates that the proposed NI can be applied as a robustness factor to detect the discrepancy between healthy and patient subjects clinically, and has the potential in the quantitative evaluation of pre- or post-surgery and rehabilitation.

USE CAUTION WHEN ASSESSING PRE-OPERATIVE LEG LENGTH DISCREPANCY IN PEDIATRIC PATIENTS WITH ANTERIOR CRUCIATE LIGAMENT INJURIES

Background:Pre- and post-operative standing hip to ankle radiography is critical for monitoring potential post-operative growth arrest and resultant length and angular deformities after pediatric anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) reconstruction. During acquisition of pre-operative standing alignment radiographs, it is possible that patients are lacking full extension, not weight bearing comfortably, or leaning resulting in inaccurate measurements.Purpose:This study aims to assess both pre- and post-operative radiographic measurements to assess if the standing pre-operative x-ray is a accurate and reliable source for baseline measurements.Methods:We retrospectively reviewed prospectively collected pre-operative and first post-operative full-length hip-to-ankle radiographs in a cohort of skeletally immature athletes who presented with an acute ACL injury and underwent subsequent surgical reconstruction. Initially, leg length discrepancy for 25 patients was measured by 3 orthopedic surgeons (top of femoral head to center of tibial plafond). The intraclass correlation was almost perfect (ICC (2,1) = .996) therefore, 1 surgeon measured the remaining 94 radiographs. Measurements for both the injured and uninjured legs were obtained for comparison and surgeons were blinded to the injured side.Results:A total of 119 pediatric patients (mean age 13.4, range 7-14 years) were included (83 males and 36 females). Patient were categorized as either having ≥5mm, ≥10mm, or ≥15mm LLD on pre-operative standing x-ray.Sixty-two patients (52%) were found to have a pre-operative LLD ≥ 5mm. Forty-one (66%) of these patients tore their ACL on the limb measuring shorter. At 6 month post-operative standing x-ray, 35 patients (56%) resolved to ≤5mm LLD.Eighteen patients had a pre-operative LLD of ≥ 10mm. At 6 month post-operative standing x-ray, 13 (72%) patients resolved to ≤5mm LLD.Five patients had a pre-operative LLD of ≥ 15mm. At 6 month post-operative standing x-ray, 4 (80%) resolved ≤5mm. All patients with a pre-operative LLD of ≥ 13mm had sustained an ACL injury on the limb measuring shorterConclusion:Of the pediatric ACL patients initially presenting with a pre-operative LLD of ≥ 10mm, 72% demonstrated apparent correction of their LLD on their 6 month standing x-ray. This high rate of LLD pre-operatively but not post operatively calls into question the accuracy of pre-operative standing alignment radiographs for patients after an ACL tear. Surgeons and radiology technicians should be aware of injured patients potentially lacking full extension, leaning, or not weight bearing comfortably, and should consider delaying preoperative radiographic length and alignment analysis until after the patient is able to fully straighten the injured knee and weight bear comfortably.

PERIOPERATIVE OPIOID EXPOSURE PATTERNS IN PEDIATRIC ACL PATIENTS: A TEN YEAR ADMINISTRATIVE DATABASE STUDY

Background:Pediatric patients sustaining anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) or related injuries are at high risk for opioid exposure in the acute, perioperative and postoperative phases of injury. Early and repeated exposure to these medications may increase the risk of future misuse. While variation in opioid prescribing practices has been documented in the outpatient setting and other realms of pediatric care, perioperative opioid exposure in this procedural cohort has not been previously examined on a national level.Purpose:To assess for demographic, temporal, regional, and hospital-level variability in perioperative opioid exposure in pediatric ACL patients.Methods:The Pediatric Health Information Systems Database (PHIS) was used to identify pediatric patients (≤18 years old) undergoing surgical treatment for ACL injury between January 2008 and December 2017. Perioperative opioids were converted to a morphine equivalent dose (MED) and summed for each patient. A hierarchical bayesian regression was performed to identify demographic factors that predicted opioid exposure while adjusting for the effect of hospital.Results:The study cohort included 23,071 patients across 52 hospitals. We report model estimates in Table 1 and mean MME by hospital in Figure 1. Compared to older adolescents (15-18yo), younger adolescents (11-14yo; b=-0.13 95% Credible Interval[-0.19, -0.07]) and children <10yo (b=-1.62 [-1.72, -1.52]) received less MED. Patients located in an observation unit (b=-1.15 [-1.25, -1.06]) or an inpatient unit (b=-1.31;[-1.42, -1.20]) received less MED than patients in an ambulatory surgical setting. Patients with commercial insurance also were dispensed more MED compared to those with other payers (b=0.10 [0.04, 0.16]). Female patients received less opioids than male patients (b=-0.08 [-0.13, -0.02]). Of the hospital random effects, the 95% credible intervals of 24 (46%) intercepts and 21 (40%) slopes did not include zero.Conclusions:This administrative database study identified hospital and patient-level characteristics predictive of perioperative narcotic exposure among pediatric ACL patients. Those who were older, in an ambulatory surgery setting, or had commercial insurance received more opioids. Cumulative perioperative opioid exposure has not declined on a national level in recent years and significant variability in opioid exposure exists between hospitals. Future work should seek to identify and utilize opioid-minimizing practices that appear present in some clinical settings.Table 1.Estimates from the Hierarchical Bayesian Regression Model Predicting Log Opioid Exposure During ACL-Related Repair Figure 1.ACL Opioid Prescribing by hospital

Rotatory Knee Laxity Exists on a Continuum in Anterior Cruciate Ligament Injury.

The purpose of this investigation was to compare the magnitude of rotatory knee laxity in patients with a partial anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) tear, those with a complete ACL tear, and those who had undergone a failed ACL reconstruction. It was hypothesized that rotatory knee laxity would increase with increasing injury grade, with knees with partial ACL tears demonstrating the lowest rotatory laxity and knees that had undergone failed ACL reconstruction demonstrating the highest rotatory laxity. A prospective multicenter study cohort of 354 patients who had undergone ACL reconstruction between 2012 and 2018 was examined. All patients had both injured and contralateral healthy knees evaluated using standardized, preoperative quantitative pivot shift testing, determined by a validated, image-based tablet software application and a surface-mounted accelerometer. Quantitative pivot shift was compared with the contralateral healthy knee in 20 patients with partial ACL tears, 257 patients with complete ACL tears, and 27 patients who had undergone a failed ACL reconstruction. Comparisons were made using 1-way analysis of variance (ANOVA) with post hoc 2-sample t tests with Bonferroni correction. Significance was set at p < 0.05. There were stepwise increases in side-to-side differences in quantitative pivot shift in terms of lateral knee compartment translation for patients with partial ACL tears (mean [and standard deviation], 1.4 ± 1.5 mm), those with complete ACL tears (2.5 ± 2.1 mm), and those who had undergone failed ACL reconstruction (3.3 ± 1.9 mm) (p = 0.01) and increases in terms of lateral compartment acceleration for patients with partial ACL tears (0.7 ± 1.4 m/s), those with complete ACL tears (2.3 ± 3.1 m/s), and those who had undergone failed ACL reconstruction (2.4 ± 5.5 m/s) (p = 0.01). A significant difference in lateral knee compartment translation was found when comparing patients with partial ACL tears and those with complete ACL tears (1.2 ± 2.1 mm [95% confidence interval (CI), 0.2 to 2.1 mm]; p = 0.02) and patients with partial ACL tears and those who had undergone failed ACL reconstruction (1.9 ± 1.7 mm [95% CI, 0.8 to 2.9 mm]; p = 0.001), but not when comparing patients with complete ACL tears and those who had undergone failed ACL reconstruction (0.8 ± 2.1 [95% CI, -0.1 to 1.6 mm]; p = 0.09). Increased lateral compartment acceleration was found when comparing patients with partial ACL tears and those with complete ACL tears (1.5 ± 3.0 m/s [95% CI, 0.8 to 2.3 m/s]; p = 0.0002), but not when comparing patients with complete ACL tears and those who had undergone failed ACL reconstruction (0.1 ± 3.4 m/s [95% CI, -2.2 to 2.4 m/s]; p = 0.93) or patients with partial ACL tears and those who had undergone failed ACL reconstruction (1.7 ± 4.2 m/s [95% CI, -0.7 to 4.0 m/s]; p = 0.16). An increasing lateral compartment translation of the contralateral, ACL-healthy knee was found in patients with partial ACL tears (0.8 mm), those with complete ACL tears (1.2 mm), and those who had undergone failed ACL reconstruction (1.7 mm) (p < 0.05). A progressive increase in rotatory knee laxity, defined by side-to-side differences in quantitative pivot shift, was observed in patients with partial ACL tears, those with complete ACL tears, and those who had undergone failed ACL reconstruction. These results may be helpful when assessing outcomes and considering indications for the management of high-grade rotatory knee laxity. Prognostic Level III. See Instructions for Authors for a complete description of levels of evidence.

Six-month post-surgical elevations in cartilage T1rho relaxation times are associated with functional performance 2 years after ACL reconstruction.

The current study looks to: (i) investigate postural stability following anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) reconstruction, as assessed by Y-Balance Test, by comparing single-leg balance of the injured limb against those of controls and the uninjured limb; (ii) analyze the relationship between postural stability symmetry with localized cartilage matrix changes and the Knee Injury and Osteoarthritis Outcome Score (KOOS). Bilateral knee MRI of 36 patients who underwent ACL reconstruction were performed before surgery, 6 months, 1 year, and 2 years, postoperatively. Postural stability was evaluated based on Y-Balance Test at 1 and 2 years. ACL patients were also split into three groups based on postural stability symmetry at 2 years and symmetry thresholds associated with elevated risks of lower extremity injury. Voxel-based relaxometry employing analysis of covariance was used to analyze localized differences in cartilage composition at all time-points (using quantitative magnetic resonance [MR] T1ρ and T2 mapping) between the three groups. The ACL patients displayed no significant deficits in postural stability. Compared with symmetric patients, those with asymmetric postural stability at 2 years had significantly prolonged cartilage T1ρ-indicating deterioration of the cartilage matrix-specifically in the injured knee's medial tibia as early as 6-month post-reconstruction. Prolonged T1ρ in asymmetric patients persisted up to 2 years, where the group also reported worse KOOS. Our results demonstrate an association between early stages of cartilage matrix deterioration and postural stability symmetry that may manifest in elevated lower extremity injury risk and worse patient-reported outcomes. Quantitative MR, in combination with local analysis performed with voxel-based relaxometry, is a tool to further study this relationship. © 2019 Orthopaedic Research Society. Published by Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Orthop Res 38:1132-1140, 2020.

Graft Inclination Angles in Anterior Cruciate Ligament Reconstruction Vary Depending on Femoral Tunnel Reaming Method: Comparison Among Transtibial, Anteromedial Portal, and Outside-In Retrograde Drilling Techniques

To compare graft coronal and sagittal inclination angles in anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) reconstruction performed by different femoral tunnel drilling techniques with respect to intact native ACL. In total, 72 patients were prospectively enrolled in the study. The inclusion criteria were complete ACL rupture and patient age between 18 and 55 years. Reconstructions were performed using 4 different femoral tunnel drilling technique: transtibial (TT), anteromedial portal with rigid (AMP-RR) or flexible (AMP-FR) reamer, and outside-in retrograde drilling (OI) techniques. Eighteen patients with intact native ACL were included as controls. Sagittal and coronal graft inclination angles were measured by magnetic resonance imaging 6 months after the procedure by 1 radiologist blinded in regards to the used technique. OI and AMP-FR techniques allowed for the maintenance of native-like ACL inclination in both the sagittal and coronal planes, whereas TT and AMP-RR increased the sagittal angle by a mean of 9.5° (P < .001) and 6.7° (P= .003), respectively, compared with native ACLs. AMP-RR and TT also showed increased sagittal graft inclination compared with AMP-FR (+6.1°, P= .009 and+9.0°, P < .001, respectively) and OI-drilling techniques (+5.5°, P= .024 and+8.4°, P < .001, respectively). No differences were observed among study groups in terms of coronal graft inclination. The study hypothesis was partially confirmed, since OI and AMP-FR techniques, but not AMP-RR, using an independent portal for femoral drilling produce a more anatomic graft inclination on the sagittal plane with respect to TT. II, prospective comparative study.

Relationship between Femoral Intercondylar Notch Narrowing in Radiography and Anatomical and Histopathologic Integrity of Anterior Cruciate Ligament in Patients Undergoing Total Knee Replacement Surgery.

The presence of cruciate ligaments is very important for normal knee kinematics. Knee arthroplasty prostheses, in which these ligaments are maintained, have better kinematics. The aim of the present study was to investigate the association between femoral intercondylar notch (FIN) narrowing in radiography and clinical and histopathologic integrity of anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) in patients undergoing knee replacement surgery. FIN index was measured in tunnel view radiography of the knees of 102 candidates of knee replacement surgery. The anatomical status of ACL was also examined during total knee arthroplasty (TKA). ACL was removed and sent for histopathologic examination to assess its degeneration rate. The association between the FIN index and the clinical and histopathological health of ACL was investigated. Among 102 patients with mean age of 69.73 ± 7.81 years , 39 patients (38.32%) had no or torn ACL, 31 patients (30.39%) had weak ACL, and 32 (31.37%) had normal ACL. There was a significant association between age and clinical status of ACL during surgery (P=0.017). There was a significant difference in FIN and ACL health status during surgery between the two groups with an index of more and less than 0.252 (P=0.019 and P=0.019, respectively). There was no significant difference in the mean total degeneration score (TDS) of ACL between the two groups with FIN more and less than 0.252 (P=0.816). There was a significant difference between the age and FIN narrowing (less than 0.252) as well as ACL clinical status during surgery. FIN narrowing had no significant effect on the severity of ACL degeneration and there was no significant difference in the severity of degenerative histopathologic changes between healthy and attenuated ACLs. This indicates that if ACL exists, although apparently attenuated, it has the histologic characteristic of a healthy ligament.