Medial Collateral Ligament Injury Research Articles

무릎 내측측부인대 손상의 한의학적 치료에 대한 국내외 임상연구 동향 분석

Objectives : This study aimed to review clinical studies on traditional Korean medicine treatment for medial collateral ligament injury of the knee. Methods : Clinical studies on Korean traditional medicine treatment of medial collat- eral ligament injury were conducted. We used five Korean online databases (OASIS, KISS, RISS, DBPia, and ScienceOn) and three foreign databases (PubMed, Cochrane Library, and CNKI). Out of 99 studies that were found, we excluded repeated articles, studies that were not related to Korean medicine, and those not relevant to the topic of the study. Results : Ten randomized controlled trials and 20 case studies were selected. Eight traditional Korean medicine treatments, including acupuncture, herbal medicine, chuna, and herbal ointment, were used in these studies. The most commonly used treatment was found to be acupuncture. Conclusions : Our study showed that traditional Korean medicine for medial collateral ligament injuries was effective. However, there were some limitations. Further clin- ical studies and randomized controlled clinical trials are needed for more evidence on Korean traditional medicine.

Comprehensive rehabilitation for injuries to the medial collateral ligament of the knee in skiers and snowkiters

BACKGROUND: The main function of the medial collateral ligament is static stabilization when the tibia is deviated outward. Medial collateral ligament damage may result from the application of a sharp force to the tibia and knee joint in a valgus position, often leading to knee instability, recurrent synovitis and posttraumatic osteoarthritis. This often results in the development of functional disorders that sharply limit the motor abilities of patients, thereby affecting the performance (support ability) of the injured limb.
 AIM: The study aimed to conduct a comparative analysis of the efficiency of various current rehabilitation techniques providing a more patient-oriented approach in the conservative treatment of various degrees of medial collateral ligament injuries based on the assessment of the capabilities of magnetic resonance imaging in 38 patients.
 MATERIALS AND METHODS: Thirty-eight patients (27 men and 11 women, 71.05% and 28.95%, respectively) with partial medial collateral ligament injuries were followed up. The mean age was 28.5 years (1938 years). All subjects were involved in skiing and snowkiting in the alpine skiing discipline. The diagnosis was made based on clinical examination, patients complaints, and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) of the knee joint. The examination was performed on a Vestra-2 magnetic resonance tomograph with a superconducting magnet and a magnetic field induction of 0.5 Tesla. Optimal for knee joint examination was a quadrature Surf-76 receiving and transmitting coil, which allowed the selection of a small field of view without artifacts or spatial distortion and increased the signal/noise ratio. The knee joints were examined twice: on the day of admission (maximum 1.5 days after injury) and at the end of the week 6 of conservative treatment.
 RESULTS: Using the rehabilitation treatment program proposed by the authors in patients with medial collateral ligament injuries, a decrease in the severity of clinical symptoms and an improvement of functional characteristics were observed. Inclusion of the kinesiotaping technique led to a reduction of the treatment recovery period.
 CONCLUSIONS: Current noninvasive diagnostic techniques (in particular, MRI) for bone tissues, articular cartilages, and periarticular soft tissues allow to determine the degree of damage to anatomical structures, choose the optimal conservative treatment method , and set the duration and extent of artificial immobilization and the terms of the onset of rehabilitation procedures for patients with partial injuries of the medial collateral ligaments. The results of the proposed rehabilitation treatment program for injuries of the medial knee ligament include a reduction of pain, synovitis and limping, and an improvement of muscle strength and elasticity and knee stability.

Opposite Effect of Cyclic Loading on the Material Properties of Medial Collateral Ligament at Different Temperatures: An Animal Study.

In traffic accidents, the medial collateral ligament (MCL) injury of the knee joint of pedestrians is common. Biofidelic material is important to realize MCL’s native biomechanics in simulations to clarify the injury mechanisms of pedestrians. Pedestrians’ MCLs usually experience cyclic loading at the intra-articular temperature of the knee joint before accidents. Temperature influences the material behaviors of ligaments. However, the mechanical properties of ligaments under cyclic loading have been widely evaluated only at room temperature rather than physiological temperature. Therefore, this study aimed to determine whether the difference between room and intra-articular temperatures influences the effect of cyclic loading on the mechanical properties of MCL. We measured the tensile properties of 34 porcine MCLs at room temperature (21–23°C) and intra-articular temperature (35–37°C), with either 10 cycles or 240 cycles of cyclic loading, a total of four different conditions. The structural responses and geometric data were recorded. After 240 cycles of cyclic loading, stiffness increased by 29.0% (p < 0.01) at room temperature and decreased by 11.5% (p = 0.106) at intra-articular temperature. Material properties were further compared because the geometric differences between samples were inevitable. At room temperature, after 240 cycles of cyclic loading, elastic modulus increased by 29.6% (p < 0.001), and failure strain decreased by 20.4% (p < 0.05). By contrast, at intra-articular temperature, after 240 cycles of cyclic loading, modulus decreased by 27.4% (p < 0.001), and failure strain increased by 17.5% (p = 0.193), insignificant though. In addition, there were no significant differences between the four groups in other structural or material properties. The results showed that temperature reversed the effect of cyclic loading on the mechanical properties of MCL, which may be caused by the high strength and thermally stable crosslinks of MCL. Therefore, for improving the fidelity of knee joint simulations and elucidating the injury mechanism of pedestrians, it is better to measure the mechanical properties of MCL at intra-articular temperature rather than room temperature.

Association of Meniscus Injuries in Patients With Anterior Cruciate Ligament Injuries.

Introduction: In today's orthopaedic practice, meniscus and anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) injuries are prevalent. It is more common in sports injuries and automobile accidents. In patients with ACL tears, meniscus problems are also common. Several studies have linked meniscus injuries to the development of osteoarthritis in early stages. Early onset of osteoarthritis has been observed in ACL-repaired patients with meniscus tears. As a result, meniscus tears should be detected and corrected as soon as possible to avoid degenerative changes in the knee joint. The goal of the study was to see if there was a link between meniscus injuries and ACL injuries in our rural community.Methods: This retrospective study was conducted on 48 patients at the R.L. Jalappa Hospital & Research Centre from January 2012 to December 2019. Patients between the ages of 18-65 diagnosed with ACL tear with/without meniscus damage in their knees were included in the study. Patients with posterior cruciate ligament (PCL) tear, medial collateral ligament (MCL) or lateral collateral ligament (LCL) injury, previously operated index knees, and patients with more than grade 3 knee osteoarthritis (Kellgren and Lawrence classification) were excluded. Clinical assessment of patients with knee injuries, MRI and diagnostic arthroscopy of the knee joint details were collected. After obtaining the data, we estimated the incidence of meniscus injuries associated with chronic ACL injuries. We also calculated the percentage of side/laterality injury (medial meniscus or lateral meniscus) and part of meniscus injury (anterior horn, body, and posterior horn) in chronic ACL-deficient knees. Patient characteristics such as age and gender were correlated with functional knee assessment using a modified Lysholm score. P-value and chi-square tests were used to assess the data. P-value of less than 0.5 was considered significant.Results: Average age of the participants was 32.31 years. There were 42 men and six women in the group. Isolated medial meniscus, lateral meniscus, and combined medial and lateral meniscus had average ages of 31.83, 31.16, and 40.28 years, respectively. ACL injuries on the right side were seen in 23 patients the left side was seen in 25 patients. In comparison to the right side, the isolated medial meniscus injury on the left side was more severe. In case of a combination of medial and lateral meniscus tears, the right side suffered more damage than the left. Eleven patients had an isolated ACL tear without a meniscus injury, while the other 37 had a meniscus injury and an ACL tear. Excellent scores were observed in 11 cases, satisfactory scores in 26, and unsatisfactory in 11 cases. Age group was categorized into three groups, less than 30, 30-45, and more than 45 years. Excellent, satisfactory, and unsatisfactory scores were observed in seven, eleven, and seven patients on the left side and excellent, satisfactory, and unsatisfactory scores in four, fifteen, and four patients on the right side, respectively. P-value was not statistically significant when comparing outcomes by age, gender, or side.Conclusion: Meniscus injuries occurred 77% of the time when there was a persistent ACL injury. In comparison to a lateral meniscus injury, the incidence of medial meniscus injury associated with chronic ACL tear was higher. In comparison to the anterior horn and body of the medial meniscus, the majority of medial meniscus tears were found in the posterior horn.

Point-Of-Care Ultrasonography for Diagnosis of Medial Collateral Ligament Tears in Acute Knee Trauma; a Diagnostic Accuracy Study

Introduction:The use of point-of-care ultrasonography (POCUS) for identifying medial collateral ligament (MCL) tears has increased in recent years. This study aimed to evaluate the diagnostic accuracy of POCUS in the diagnosis of acute MCL tears of the knee.Methods:This prospective cross-sectional study was performed on patients with suspected MCL tear of the knee in the emergency department (ED). After history taking and primary physical examination, radiographic imaging of the knee was done. If there was no fracture in the knee X-ray, the POCUS examination was done. All of the patients were asked to refer to an orthopedic clinic, 7-10 days after discharge from ED, for Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI) evaluation. The second POCUS was done in the orthopedic clinic. Finally, the findings of POCUS and MRI were compared in diagnosing MCL injury.Results:Two hundred and fifty patients with a mean age of 25.05 ± 9.12 years were analyzed (86.8% male). According to the MRI findings, as the gold standard, 55(22.0%) patients had MCL injury. The sensitivity, specificity, positive and negative predictive values (PPV and NPV), and accuracy of ultrasound in detection of MCL injury, in comparison with MRI were 83.64 (95% CI, 71.20 to 92.23), 94.36% (95% CI, 90.13 to 97.15), 80.70% (95% CI, 69.95 to 88.25), 95.34% (95% CI, 91.83 to 97.38), and 92.00% (95% CI, 87.92 to 95.05), respectively. The area under the receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve of POCUS was 0.890 (95% CI, 0.844 to 0.926).Conclusion: It seems that POCUS can be applied in screening patients with MCL tears following blunt knee trauma.

Return to play after ulnar collateral ligament reconstruction with concurrent posterior-compartment decompression.

Medial ulnar collateral ligament (UCL) injuries and posterior elbow impingement commonly affect throwing athletes. Surgical intervention for each of these pathologies individually has been demonstrated to be successful with high return-to-play (RTP) rates. Our purpose was to report RTP rates for patients treated with concurrent UCL reconstruction (UCLR) and arthroscopic posterior débridement performed by the senior author. We retrospectively reviewed all elbow medial UCL procedures performed by the senior author from January 2016 through September 2020. The inclusion criteria included an elbow medial UCL operation with arthroscopic posterior-compartment débridement in a throwing athlete. The exclusion criteria included isolated UCLR surgery, non-primary surgery, and revision UCLR with either autograft or allograft. Using a chart review and publicly available information, we were able to determine patients' playing levels after their operations. Twelve patients met the inclusion and exclusion criteria. The average age was 24.27 years (standard deviation,4.92 years). Of the 12 patients, 10 returned to play at the same level (4 Major League Baseball players and 1 Triple A player) or at a higher level (2 players from Single A to Double A, 1 player from National Collegiate Athletic Association Division I to Single A, 1 player from rookie league to Single A, and 1 player from high school to National Collegiate Athletic Association Division I), 1 did not return to play, and 1 returned to play at a lower level, with an average RTP time of 14.64 months (standard deviation, 2.64 months). Of the 12 patients, 11 were pitchers; of these 11 pitchers, 9 had statistics available both before and after UCLR. Before UCLR, the average statistics for the pitchers were as follows: earned run average, 4.11±0.85; walks and hits per inning pitched, 1.42±0.26; strikeout-to-walk ratio, 3.00±1.83; strikeouts per 9 innings, 8.80±1.14; and innings pitched, 234.88±316.74. After UCLR, their average statistics were as follows: earned run average, 5.24±2.18 (P=.189); walks and hits per inning pitched, 1.55±0.34 (P=.379); strikeout-to-walk ratio, 2.15±0.98 (P=.263); strikeouts per 9 innings, 9.67±1.91 (P=.293); and innings pitched, 138.71±162.97 (P=.487). Although surgical intervention to address both posterior impingement and UCL injury is relatively rare (comprising 8.5% of all the senior author's UCLR procedures), our experience demonstrates that primary UCLR with concurrent arthroscopic posterior decompression is a reliable, safe, and successful surgical treatment for patients with UCL injury and posterior impingement and our results show no significant difference in statistical performance in pitchers before surgery vs. after surgery.

Comparison of clinical examination &amp; MRI against arthroscopy in diagnosis of Meniscal and anterior cruciate ligament injuries of knee joint

Introduction: The most frequent internal instability of the knee is a meniscal tear. Most cost-effective and the primary diagnostic method is a physical examination of the knee joint. MRI is a non-invasive and extremely sensitive method of study and it frequently detects subtle and early alterations in the soft tissues. Arthroscopy is a highly specific and sensitive method which is useful for both diagnosis and treatment but it is an invasive treatment. Objective 1. To assess the accuracy for clinical examination and arthroscopy to diagnose the anterior cruciate ligament and meniscal injuries in knee joint. 2. To examine how accurate MRI is, as compared to arthroscopy in diagnosing anterior cruciate ligament and meniscal injuries in knee. 3. Anassociation of diagnostic accuracy of MRI and clinical examination in diagnosis of anterior cruciate ligament and meniscal injuries in knee joint. Material and Methods: A Cross-sectional study conducted at Department of Orthopedic Surgery, Services Institute of Medical Sciences (SIMS). This study completed in one year and two months after the acceptance of synopsis. A sample of 120 patients was calculated for this study. A clinical diagnosis of meniscal, posterior cruciate ligament, anterior cruciate ligament, lateral collateral ligament, and medial collateral ligament injury of the knee has made after these patients gave their up-to-date consent. These patients were evaluated on the basis of MRI and Arthroscopy. We used SPSS to evaluate all data, with arthroscopy serving as the gold standard. Results: The study contained 120 patients. The mean age of these patients is between 30.8 ± 6.93 years. Most of the patients are male. The most common ligament involved in this study found to be ACL followed by medial Meniscal injury. Findings from clinical examination are correlated with Arthroscopic findings and it found more sensitive for ACL injuries (97.5%) while it is most specific for ACL as well as Medial Meniscal injuries (100%). Findings from MRI are also correlate with Arthroscopy, MRI found most sensitive to detect ACL injuries (95.8%) and it is most specific for ACL injuries also (100%). We also compare the MRI findings with clinical examination finding and found that, clinical examination is almost equally accurate as MRI to detect the injuries of ACL injuries with sensitivity of clinical examination 97.5% and MRI 95.8% and found 100% for ACL injuries. Conclusion: We concluded that the clinical examination is batter for diagnosing cruciate ligamentous injury while MRI is batter for diagnosis of meniscal injury, in case of knee injuries. So we may skip MRI for patients with cruciate injury &amp;directly proceed towards arthroscopy. In difficult cases and the cases which are involving meniscal injury both MRI and arthroscopy may be considered. Keywords: Meniscal tear; MRI; Arthroscopy; knee joint; clinical examination.

Observation on the Effect of MRI Image Scanning on Knee Pain in Football Injury.

To study the effect of football injury on knee pain based on MRI image scanning, in this paper, a total of 31 knee injuries of 29 male professional football players from December 2012 to April 2015 were used as the experimental group. The players were 23.6 ± 3.5 years old and received professional football training time 15.3 ± 3.6 years; 31 outpatients of the same age group with acute knee joint acute injury were randomly selected as the control group; both groups were imaged with a 1.5 TMR scanner and knee joint standard array coil imaging, and 2 senior radiation surgeons evaluate knee cartilage, meniscus, ligaments, tendons, bone marrow, infrapatellar fat pad, and joint effusions. Pearson's chi-squared test and nonparametric test for two independent samples were used for statistical testing of the evaluation results. The experimental results showed that there were significant differences in the incidence of articular cartilage, lateral collateral ligament, tendon or ligament injury, multiligament or tendon injury, and bone marrow edema between the two groups (P < 0.05). There was no significant difference in the incidence of medial collateral ligament injury, infrapatellar fat pad edema, and joint effusion. MRI shows that knee injuries in male professional football players often involve ligaments or tendons, mostly multiligament or tendon injuries. The lesions of articular cartilage and meniscus are more common and serious, and bone marrow edema is also more common in football injuries. MRI has high diagnostic accuracy for various clinical knee injuries, and it belongs to a noninvasive examination method. It can not only reflect the pathological changes and changes of the knee joints of patients but also provide information for the formulation of clinical programs and the judgment of prognosis, for timely, accurate, and comprehensive imaging reference.

Medial Collateral Ligament Reconstruction for Anteromedial Instability of the Knee: A Biomechanical Study In Vitro

Background: Although a medial collateral ligament (MCL) injury is associated with anteromedial rotatory instability (AMRI) and often with an anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) injury, there has been little work to develop anteromedial (AM) reconstruction to address this laxity. Purpose: To measure the ability of a novel “anatomic” AM reconstruction technique to restore native knee laxity for isolated AM insufficiency and combined AM plus posteromedial insufficiency. Study Design: Controlled laboratory study. Methods: A total of 12 cadaveric knees were mounted in a kinematic testing rig that allowed the tibia to be loaded while the knee flexed-extended 0° to 100° with 88-N anteroposterior translation, 5-N·m internal rotation–external rotation (ER), 8-N·m valgus, and combined anterior translation plus ER to simulate AMRI. Joint motion was measured using optical trackers with the knee intact, after superficial MCL (sMCL) and deep MCL (dMCL) transection, and after AM reconstruction of the sMCL and dMCL with semitendinosus autografts. The posteromedial capsule (PMC)/posterior oblique ligament (POL) was then transected to induce a grade 3 medial injury, and kinematic measurements were repeated afterward and again after removing the grafts. Laxity changes were examined using repeated-measures analysis of variance and post-testing. Results: sMCL and dMCL deficiency increased valgus, ER, and AMRI laxities. These laxities did not differ from native values after AM reconstruction. Additional PMC/POL deficiency did not increase these laxities significantly but did increase internal rotation laxity near knee extension; this was not controlled by AM reconstruction. Conclusion: AM reconstruction eliminated AMRI after transection of the dMCL and sMCL, and also eliminated AMRI after additional PMC/POL transection. Clinical Relevance: Many MCL injuries occur in combination with ACL injuries, causing AMRI. These injuries may rupture the AM capsule and dMCL. Unaddressed MCL deficiency leads to an increased ACL reconstruction failure rate. A dMCL construct oriented anterodistally across the medial joint line, along with an sMCL graft, can restore native knee ER laxity. PMC/POL lesions did not contribute to AMRI.

A Triple-Strand Anatomic Medial Collateral Ligament Reconstruction Restores Knee Stability More Completely Than a Double-Strand Reconstruction: A Biomechanical Study In Vitro

Background: There are many descriptions of medial collateral ligament (MCL) reconstruction, but they may not reproduce the anatomic structures and there is little evidence of their biomechanical performance. Purpose: To investigate the ability of “anatomic” MCL reconstruction to restore native stability after grade III MCL plus posteromedial capsule/posterior oblique ligament injuries in vitro. Study Design: Controlled laboratory study. Methods: Twelve cadaveric knees were mounted in a kinematic testing rig to impose tibial displacing loads while the knee was flexed-extended: 88-N anteroposterior translation, 5-N·m internal-external rotation, 8-N·m valgus-varus, and combined anterior translation plus external rotation (anteromedial rotatory instability). Joint motion was measured via optical trackers with the knee intact; after superficial MCL (sMCL), deep MCL (dMCL), and posterior oblique ligament transection; and then after MCL double- and triple-strand reconstructions. Double strands reproduced the sMCL and posterior oblique ligament and triple-strands the sMCL, dMCL, and posterior oblique ligament. The sMCL was placed 5 mm posterior to the epicondyle in the double-strand technique and at the epicondyle in the triple-strand technique. Kinematic changes were examined by repeated measures 2-way analysis of variance with posttesting. Results: Transection of the sMCL, dMCL, and posterior oblique ligament increased valgus rotation (5° mean) and external rotation (9° mean). The double-strand reconstruction controlled valgus in extension but allowed 5° excess valgus in flexion and did not restore external rotation (7° excess). The triple-strand reconstruction restored both external rotation and valgus throughout flexion. Conclusion: In a cadaveric model, a triple-strand reconstruction including a dMCL graft restored native external rotation, while a double-strand reconstruction without a dMCL graft did not. A reconstruction with the sMCL graft placed isometrically on the medial epicondyle restored valgus rotation across the arc of knee flexion, whereas a reconstruction with a more posteriorly placed sMCL graft slackened with knee flexion. Clinical Relevance: An MCL injury may rupture the anteromedial capsule and dMCL, causing anteromedial rotatory instability. Persistent MCL instability increases the likelihood of ACL graft failure after combined injury. A reconstruction with an anteromedial dMCL graft restored native external rotation, which may help to unload/protect an ACL graft. It is important to locate the sMCL graft isometrically at the femoral epicondyle to restore valgus across flexion.

A Rare Closed Reduction of Posterolateral Dislocation with Medial Collateral Ligament (MCL) Injury : A Case Report

Introduction: Irreducible posterolateral dislocation of the knee is a rare condition. Due to limited reports available, it is a common dilemma whether closed reduction should be attempted at all or an open surgery is the only method. “Dimple Sign'' can be found in the presence of injured medial structure, including the medial collateral ligament rupture (MCL), failure to recognize this sign may lead to repeated attempts of close manual reduction where could lead to secondary soft tissue injuries. Case Report : In this study we present a 50 years old male with successful attempt of closed reduction in posterolateral knee dislocation combined with tendon repair for the MCL rupture. Conclusion: This study may add more perspective and be beneficial for similar cases where prompt open surgery is not possible and closed reduction is considered.

Treatment of Medial Collateral Ligament Injury During Total Knee Arthroplasty With Internal Suture Brace Augmentation: A Cadaveric and Biomechanical Study

Intraoperative medial collateral ligament (MCL) injury during total knee arthroplasty (TKA) is a serious complication. External bracing and/or conversion to a constrained implant has previously been studied. The technique of using an internal high-strength suture brace to augment an MCL repair has been evaluated in the nonarthroplasty patient and could provide an alternate solution. The goal of this study was to determine whether MCL repair with internal suture bracing restores stability of the implanted knee joint. A robotic simulator completed laxity testing on 5 cadaveric knee specimens in 4 sequential phases: (1) intact knee, (2) after implantation with TKA, (3) after sectioning of the MCL, and (4) after MCL repair with suture brace augmentation. Laxity was compared between the different test phases throughout range of motion. Subsequently, the internal brace was tested to failure under valgus load. The MCL repair with internal bracing was effective at restoring laxity in varus-valgus, internal-external, and me-dial-lateral degrees of freedom through midflexion, with limited support at deeper flexion angles and in anterior-posterior laxity. Rotational laxity was not significantly different than intact knee laxity. Generally, medial-lateral translations were less and anterior-posterior translations were greater and were significantly different at 30° to 45° and 90°, respectively. The mean failure moment was 46.4±9.1 Nm, with the primary mode of failure being MCL repair. Primary MCL repair with internal bracing using a high-strength suture augment showed the potential to provide adequate stability and strength to correct MCL incompetence in TKA without the use of an external knee brace or constrained implants. [Orthopedics. 202x;4x(x):xx-xx.].

Sonological evaluation of medial knee injuries and its comparison with magnetic resonance imaging findings: A study

Background: Ultrasonography (US) offers several unique strengths over MR imaging, that make it a promising technique for the evaluation of certain disorders of the knee. US has higher spatial resolution than MR imaging, which may be helpful in evaluating the superficial structures and popliteal fossaof the knee in detail. Visualizing the MCL under ultrasound is relatively easy due to its superficial location, spanning from the medial femoral condyle to the medial tibial metaphysis. Meanwhile MRI is costly, not advisable to all due to its claustrophobia and ferromagnetic property. Ultrasound (US) on the other hand is an inexpensive, widely available and non-invasive technique which also allows dynamic imaging Our objective is to assess the validity of ultrasound in the diagnosis of medial knee injuries in comparison with MRI findings. Materials and Methods: Patients attending Department of Orthopaedics is referred to Department of radiodiagnosis of T.D. Medical College Alappuzha, who were clinically suspected to have medial knee injury, during the study period. This study was a prospective study. Prospective patients with clinically suspected medial knee injuries scheduled for MRI of the knee were evaluated by Ultrasound examination prior to the MRI. Sonographic findings were then compared to MRI results. Results and Discussion: 60 patients were enrolled in the study. 73.3% of the study population were males (1) and most of them belonged in their 2nd and 3rd decades. Most of the injuries were left sided [60%] and majority [65%] presented for radiological evaluation within 1 week to 1 month of history of injury. Accuracy of ultrasound in the diagnosis of MCL and MM injuries were 86.7% and 85% respectively.US demonstrated 89.6% sensitivity and 75% specificity for medial collateral ligament (MCL) injuries and 85.3% sensitivity and 84.6% specificity for medial meniscus (MM) tears. The most frequent knee finding in this study was joint effusion which was seen in 50(83.3%) of patients. Conclusion: US gives high accuracy and specificity in detection of MCL and MM injuries. Ultrasound may have a role as the initial rapid imaging modality in patients with suspected MCL or medial meniscus injuries and it may serve as an effective low-cost screening tool for patients with MM or MCL injuries and avoid performing the high-cost MRI.

Could Use of Autologous Interleukin-1 Receptor Antagonist Fasten the Return to Sport Time after Sustained Medial Collateral Ligament Injury? Case Series Report

Could Use of Autologous Interleukin-1 Receptor Antagonist Fasten the Return to Sport Time after Sustained Medial Collateral Ligament Injury? Case Series Report

Is Repair of a Small Coronoid Fracture Required in the Surgical Treatment of Terrible Triad Injury of the Elbow?

Background: Multiple treatment protocols have been described in literature for the treatment of terrible triad injury (TTI) of the elbow. We believe that repair of the medial collateral ligament (MCL) should be performed in preference to repair of a small coronoid fracture if the elbow is unstable after fixation/replacement of the radial head and repair of the lateral collateral ligament (LCL). The aim of this study is to report the outcomes of surgical treatment of patients with TTI associated with a small coronoid fracture in whom the coronoid fracture was not addressed. Methods: This study is a retrospective case series of 12 consecutive patients who underwent surgery for acute TTI with a small coronoid fracture (9 Regan-Morrey type I and 3 Regan-Morrey type II). Ten patients had complete MCL injuries. All patients underwent repair of the torn LCL and MCL and treatment of the radial head. The coronoid fracture was not surgically treated. At the final follow-up, the range of motion, degree of flexion contracture, Mayo elbow performance score (MEPS) and Disabilities of the Arm, Shoulder and Hand (DASH) were measured. Results: The mean follow-up period was 13.5 months. At the final follow-up, the mean arc of elbow flexion was 132° and the mean flexion contracture was 10°. The mean arc of forearm rotation was 148°. None of the patients demonstrated elbow instability. The mean MEPS was 92.5 points with seven having excellent results and five having good results. The average DASH score was 11.2 points. Conclusions: Our results showed that good elbow stability, arc of motion and clinical outcomes could be achieved without repair of small coronoid fractures in the treatment of TTI. The repair of MCL injuries should be given priority over the fixation of small coronoid fractures to regain elbow stability. Level of Evidence: Level IV (Therapeutic).

Biomechanical Evaluation of a Low-Invasive Elbow Medial Collateral Ligament Reconstruction Technique With Fascia and Tendon Patches.

Background: Injury to the medial collateral ligament (MCL) of the elbow has become increasingly common in sports, and the elbow is prone to contracture and ossification in trauma. Effective reconstruction of the MCL with reduction of irritation to the elbow has rarely been reported. This study introduces a minimally invasive elbow MCL reconstruction technique and evaluates the valgus stability. Methods: Eight fresh-frozen elbow specimens underwent reconstruction of the anterior bundle of the MCL (AMCL) first with the flexor carpi ulnaris fascia patches, followed by reconstruction of the posterior bundle of the MCL (PMCL) with the triceps tendon patches. The valgus angles of each specimen were examined in three stages as follows: intact MCL, reconstruction of the AMCL alone, and reconstruction of the MCL (including AMCL and PMCL). Finally, specimens were loaded to failure, and failure modes were recorded. Results: AMCL reconstruction alone had similar valgus stability at all testing angles (p = 0.080, 30° flexion; p = 0.064, 60° flexion; p = 0.151, 90° flexion; p = 0.283, 120° flexion) compared with the intact MCL, as did MCL reconstruction (p = 0.951, 30° flexion; p = 0.739, 60° flexion; p = 0.841, 90° flexion; p = 0.538, 120° flexion). More importantly, a significant difference existed between the MCL reconstruction and the AMCL reconstruction alone at 30° flexion (p = 0.043) and 60° flexion (p = 0.013) but not at the 90° flexion (p = 0.369) and 120° flexion (p = 0.879). The mean maximum failure torque of MCL reconstruction was 24.02 Nm at 90° elbow flexion. Conclusion: Both AMCL reconstruction alone and MCL reconstruction provided valgus stability comparable with the native MCL, and importantly, MCL reconstruction provided more valgus stability than AMCL reconstruction alone at 30° flexion and 60° flexion of the elbow. Therefore, the new MCL reconstruction technique might be a useful guide for the treatment of elbow MCL injuries or deficiencies.

Knee Medial Collateral Ligament Augmentation With Bioinductive Scaffold: Surgical Technique and Indications

The medial collateral ligament (MCL) is the most commonly injured ligament of the knee; however, only a minority of cases require surgical intervention. Classically, isolated grade I and II MCL injuries are treated nonoperatively whereas isolated grade III injuries may be treated with surgery. High-grade MCL injuries are frequently associated with concomitant knee ligamentous injuries, particularly the anterior cruciate ligament. Nonetheless, MCL repair or reconstruction is generally reserved for patients with persistent valgus instability after failed nonoperative management. Synthetic and biological implants are increasing in popularity to augment repairs and reconstructions for biomechanical reinforcement and promotion of the native healing response to hasten rehabilitation. The BioBrace (Biorez, New Haven, CT) is a bioinductive scaffold composed of highly porous type I collagen and bioresorbable poly(L-lactide) microfilaments, providing an environment for soft-tissue regeneration and mechanical support. The purpose of this article is to describe the surgical technique and relative indications for the BioBrace in knee MCL ligament repairs and reconstructions.

Diagnostic value of the lateral femoral notch sign and kissing contusion in patients with anterior cruciate ligament injuries: a case-control study.

The lateral femoral notch sign (LFNS) and the kissing contusion (KC) are two indirect signs of anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) injuries. They can be used to diagnose ACL injuries. A total of 1000 patients were enrolled in this study, including 500 patients with ACL injuries who assigned to experimental group and 500 patients with meniscal tear (MT) who allocated to control group. All the patients underwent magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) preoperatively, and the diagnosis was confirmed with the aid of arthroscopy. The depth of LFNS and the presence of KC were determined on MRI findings. The relationship and characteristics between these two indicators was explored. The notch depth of lateral femoral condyle in the experimental group (0.99 ± 0.56mm) was significantly greater than that in the control group (0.49 ± 0.28mm) (P < 0.05). The positive rate of KC in the experimental group (183/500) was markedly higher than that in the control group (3/500) (P < 0.05). The values of notch depth in patients who had ACL rupture concomitant lateral MT injuries and medial collateral ligament (MCL) injuries were 1.12 ± 0.64 and 1.23 ± 0.74mm, respectively, which were significantly higher than those in patients with only ACL injury (0.89 ± 0.49mm) (P < 0.05). It also was revealed that when the optimal cut-off point of LFNS was 0.72mm (area under the curve (AUC) = 81%), the values of specificity and sensitivity were 67% and 84%, respectively. For KC, the corresponding values were 36.6% and 99.4%, respectively. The diagnostic outcome of LFNS was not in agreement with that of KC, as there was a poor coincidence according to the Kappa coefficient (Kappa = 0.155 < 0.4, P = 0.035). The LFNS and KC have strong clinical significance in the diagnosis of ACL injuries. A deeper notch often indicates a more complex knee injury. Notch depth equal to 0.72mm can be basically considered as the optimal cut-off point for LFNS in statistics.

Effects of Korean Traditional Medicine Treatment on Spontaneous Osteonecrosis of the Knee: A Case Report

Spontaneous osteonecrosis of the knee (SONK) is a common form of osteonecrosis of the knee and mainly affects the medial condyle due to localized vascular insufficiency. We report a case of SONK in a 65-year-old woman who had severe knee pain in her left knee whichimpeded her capacityto walk beyond 10 minutes. Bilateral knee X-rays revealed degenerative osteoarthritis of both knees and magnetic resonance imaging revealed R/O SONK in the lateral aspect of the medial femoral condyle, as well as a medial meniscal posterior horn root tear, and a Grade 1 medial collateral ligament injury. She was hospitalized at Jaseng Hospital of Korean Medicine for 21 days and receivedcombination therapy includingacupuncture, pharmacopuncture, and herbal medicine. Patient-reported scales indicated that her pain and physical functional limitations were alleviated. Combination therapy consisting of Korean traditional medicine may bean alternative non-operative treatment approach for patients with SONK.

Overhead arm positioning in the rehabilitation of elbow dislocations: An in vitro biomechanical study

Study DesignIn vitro biomechanical study. IntroductionElbow stiffness is a common complication following elbow dislocation. Overhead exercises have been proposed to initiate early motion to reduce stiffness through employing gravity to stabilize the elbow. The implications of this position with regard to elbow kinematics after dislocation have not been reported. Purpose of the StudyTo determine the influence of the overhead position on elbow stability following combined medial and lateral collateral ligament (MCL and LCL) injuries. MethodsPassive and simulated active extension were performed on 11 cadaveric elbows with the arm in the overhead, dependent, and horizontal positions and with the forearm in pronation, neutral, and supination. Internal-external rotation (IER) and varus-valgus angulation (VVA) of the ulnohumeral joint were assessed for the intact elbow and after simulated MCL-LCL injury. Repeated-measures analyses of variance were conducted to analyze the effects of elbow state, arm position, forearm rotation, and extension angle. ResultsDuring passive extension with the arm overhead, the pronated position resulted in more internal rotation than supination (-2.6 ± 0.7°, P = .03). There was no effect of forearm rotation on VVA. The overhead position increased internal rotation relative to the dependent position when the forearm was neutral (-8.5 ± 2.5°, P = .04) and relative to the horizontal position when the forearm was supinated (-12.7 ± 2.2°, P= .02). During active extension, pronation increased valgus angle compared to the neutral (+1.2 ± 0.3°, P= .04) and supinated (+1.5 ± 0.4°, P= .03) positions, but did not affect IER. There was no difference between active and passive motion with the arm overhead (P > .05). DiscussionMovement of the injured elbow in the overhead position most closely replicated kinematics of the intact elbow compared to the other arm positions. ConclusionsOverhead elbow extension results in similar kinematics between an intact elbow and an elbow with MCL and LCL tears. As such, therapists might consider early motion in this position to reduce the risk of elbow stiffness after dislocation.