Surgical treatment of distal hamstring tendon injuries yield a higher return-to-sports rate: A systematic review.

PURPOSE: The purpose of this study is to compare the patient-reported outcomes and return to sports of the conservative and surgical treatment of distal hamstring tendon injuries. METHODS: Following the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses guidelines, two reviewers searched PubMed, Scopus and Virtual Health Library databases in January 2023. Clinical studies evaluating conservative or surgical management outcomes of distal hamstring tendon injuries were considered eligible for this systematic review if predefined criteria were fulfilled: (1) published in English or Spanish; (2) evaluated any of the following: patient-reported outcomes, return-to-sports rate (RTS-R) or return-to-sports time (RTS-T). Data were presented in tables using absolute values from individual studies and derived pooled percentages. RESULTS: Eighteen studies were included for 67 patients and 68 distal hamstring tendon injuries. Initially, 39 patients (58.2%) underwent surgical treatment, whereas 28 (41.8%) were treated conservatively. Among conservative treatment patients, 15 failed and had to be operated on (53.6%), all with distal semitendinosus tendon injuries. Anchor fixation was the technique of choice in 20 lesions (36.4%), tenodesis in 16 (29.1%), tenectomy in 14 (25.5%) and sutures were preferred in five (9%). Thirteen out of 28 patients (46.4%) undergoing initial conservative treatment returned to sports at a mean of 3.6 months (range 1 week to 12 months), in contrast to surgical treatment, in which 36 out of 39 patients (92.3%) returned at a mean of 4.2 months (range 6 weeks to 12 months). Additionally, 14 of 15 patients (93.3%) converted to surgical treatment after failed conservative treatment returned to sports at a mean of 7.6 months after injury. CONCLUSION: Initial surgical treatment of distal hamstring tendon injuries yields a high RTS-R (92.3%) at a mean of 4.2 months. Furthermore, 15 out of 28 patients (53.6%) initially treated conservatively had to be operated on, delaying the RTS-T (mean 7.6 months after injury) without affecting their RTS-R. LEVEL OF EVIDENCE: IV.

Tibial tubercle fractures are sports injuries in male adolescents with a considerable risk of complications and reoperations: a systematic review.

PURPOSE: There is growing interest in tibial tubercle fractures in pediatric and adolescent population within the last decade. However, there is limited evidence in the existing literature. Therefore, the purpose of this systematic review was to analyze and provide up-to-date data that may prove valuable in decision making and management of these injuries in the general as well as the athletic population. METHODS: A systematic review of the literature in PubMed, Cochrane library and Virtual Health Library was conducted using the "Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analysis" (PRISMA) guidelines. Articles published in English or Spanish, during the past 20 years, reporting outcomes of tibial tubercle fracture management in patients younger than 18 years old, with a mean follow-up of at least 6 months reporting outcomes, type of management and classification were included. RESULTS: A total of 919 patients with 956 fractures in 25 retrospective cohort studies were included. The mean age was 14.4 ± 0.6 years while 766 [83%] were males and 740 [81%] of the injuries were sports-related. Associated injuries were reported in 91[10%] cases, most common being patellar tendon avulsion. Surgical management was chosen for 845[88%] of the cases, the vast majority being open reduction internal fixation (ORIF) with screws. Union was achieved in 954 [99.8%] cases. Complications and re-operations rate stood at 172[18%] and 161 [19% of the operations], respectively. Return to play (RTP) was reported in 11 [44%] of the studies standing at an average of 98.9% ± 3.6. CONCLUSION: Essentially, this is an adolescent sports knee injury that needs careful planning before decision making because it may affect both RTP and joint preservation. Although union was achieved in almost all patients, there is a high risk of associated injuries, complications and reoperations. The surgeon should be confident to perform fracture fixation as well as addressing associated knee soft tissue injuries to achieve optimal outcomes. LEVEL OF EVIDENCE: Level IV.

Anterior Cruciate Ligament Tear: Individualized Indications for Non-Operative Management.

Anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) rupture represents a common sports injury that is mostly managed operatively. However, non-operative treatment can also play a role, despite the limited high-quality published data on ACL tear management. Both methods have shown favorable outcomes, but clear guidelines based on high-quality research are lacking. Several factors should be considered and discussed with the patient before deciding on the best treatment method. These include patient characteristics and expectations, concomitant injuries, and clinical evaluation, with laxity or/and instability being one of the most essential parameters examined. This should eventually lead to an individualized approach for each patient to ensure the best possible outcome. This review aims to delve into all parameters that are related to ACL rupture and guide physicians in choosing the most appropriate treatment method for each patient.

Platelet-rich plasma intra-articular knee injections from open preparation techniques do not pose a higher risk of joint infection: A systematic review of 91 randomized controlled trials and 5914 injections.

Purpose: To compare the infection rate of intraarticular platelet-rich plasma (PRP) knee injections between open and closed techniques in randomized controlled trials (RCTs) published in the last decade. Methods: Following the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses guidelines, PubMed, Scopus and Virtual Health Library were accessed in October 2022 using the terms 'platelet-rich plasma', 'PRP', 'knee' and 'tibiofemoral' alone and in combination with Boolean operators AND/OR. RCTs published during the last 10 years evaluating PRP intra-articular knee injections were considered eligible. Studies were excluded if the kit/preparation technique was not described. Data were presented using individual studies' absolute values, totals, and pooled percentages. Publication bias was assessed using the ROBIS tool. Results: Ninety-one studies met the predetermined eligibility criteria. Forty-one implemented a closed technique, while 50 were open. All studies implementing a closed technique disclosed their commercial kits. Only 16 studies (17.58%) failed to report joint infections. Among the studies reporting joint infections as outcomes, 30 implemented a closed technique with 1195 patients, 1921 intra-articular knee injections and 95.44% of patient follow-up. On the other hand, 45 of them implemented an open technique with 2290 patients, 3993 intra-articular knee injections and 97.07% of patient follow-up. No patient had a joint infection among the included studies. Thirty-three studies prepared their PRP in controlled environments (36.26%). Most studies did not report where the preparation occurred (48.35%). Only twelve studies disclosed using laminar flow during preparation (13.19%). The infection rate for both techniques was 0 per 1000 knee injections. Conclusion: Open PRP preparation techniques do not pose a higher risk of joint infection and can lower manufacturing costs when appropriate facilities are available. However, PRP preparation setting and laminar flow implementation data are deficient, and minimal requirements for good manufacturing practices demand further studies while adhering to local and regional regulations. Level of Evidence: Level I, systematic review of RCTs.

Tibial Nerve Palsy: An Atypical Presentation of a Popliteal Cyst.

Popliteal cysts represent one of the commonest knee pathologies in the adult population. The vast majority of cases may be treated conservatively as symptoms tend to resolve spontaneously. However, few patients may experience persistent pain and nerve-related symptoms not responding to conservative management. We present a case of a 46-year-old patient who suffered from tibial nerve palsy due to a popliteal cyst that was treated successfully with combined open and arthroscopic procedure. It is important to understand that popliteal cysts rarely may lead to tibial nerve entrapment and in selected cases operative management may be indicated.

Surgical management of upper limb lipoma arborescens: a systematic review.

BACKGROUND: Lipoma arborescens (LA) is a rare benign synovial tumour characterized by the proliferation of mature adipocytes within the synovial cells. Given its rarity, current evidence is mainly based on case reports and case series, and no guidelines are available. The present study investigated the current surgical management and related outcomes of LA in the upper limb. METHODS: This systematic review was conducted following the PRISMA guidelines. PubMed, Scopus, and Virtual Health Library were accessed in September 2021. Clinical studies evaluating patients with LA undergoing surgical treatment were considered eligible for this systematic review. Only studies which reported data on LA located in the upper limb with histopathological confirmation were considered. Articles that reported data from nonsurgical management were not considered. RESULTS: A total of 21 studies reporting 22 lesions in 21 patients were assessed. The mean age of the patients was 48.48 years (range 22-77). Most studies evaluated the restoration of range of motion and symptom resolution for the functional outcome assessment. Open or arthroscopic excision and synovectomy were the most common surgical procedures for LA. The concomitant lesions were treated in a single-stage procedure. All patients had satisfactory outcomes after open or arthroscopic excision and synovectomy without recurrence at a mean follow-up of 21.14 months (range 2-60). One patient developed postoperative cellulitis (4.55%). CONCLUSION: Open and arthroscopic excision combined with synovectomy should be considered the standard treatment option of upper limb LA. Concomitant pathologies can be addressed in a one-stage procedure. Although LA was recognized as a clinical entity decades ago, there is a lack of evidence based guidelines and long term outcome data are unavailable.