Tunnel widening after ACL reconstruction with different fixation techniques: aperture fixation with biodegradable interference screws versus all-inside technique with suspensory cortical buttons. 5-year data from a prospective randomized trial.

BACKGROUND: The aim of the present study was to examine tunnel widening and clinical outcomes after anterior cruciate ligament reconstruction (ACLR) using two different fixation methods: aperture fixation with biodegradable interference screws versus all-inside ACLR with suspensory cortical buttons. METHODS: Tunnel widening was assessed using volumetric and diameter measurements on magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) scans directly after surgery, as well as 6 months and 2 and 5 years postoperatively. Clinical outcomes were assessed after 5 years with instrumented tibial anteroposterior translation measurement (KT-1000), single-leg hop testing, and the IKDC, Lysholm, and Tegner activity scores. RESULTS: At the final follow-up, the study population consisted of 21 patients, 12 of whom underwent screw fixation and 9 of whom had button fixation. 3 patients with all-inside ACLR had sustained early repeat ruptures within 6 months after surgery and had to be excluded from the further analysis. With screw fixation, the tibial tunnel volume changed significantly more over time compared to all-inside button fixation, with a larger initial increase at 6 months (from postoperative 2.9 ± 0.2 to 3.3 ± 0.2 cm3 at 6 months versus 1.7 ± 0.1 to 1.9 ± 0.2 cm3) and a greater final decrease over 2-5 years postoperatively (from 3.1 ± 0.2 to 1.9 ± 0.2 cm3 versus 1.8 ± 0.2 ± 0.1 to 1.3 ± 0.1 cm3) (P < 0.001). The femoral tunnel volume remained comparable between the two groups throughout the follow-up period, with an initial 1.6 ± 0.1 cm3 in both groups and 1.2 ± 0.1 vs. 1.3 ± 0.1 after 5 years in the screw and button groups, respectively (P ≥ 0.314). The maximum tibial and femoral tunnel diameters were significantly larger with screw fixation at all four time points. Tibial diameters measured 11.1 ± 0.2, 12.3 ± 0.3, 12.3 ± 0.4, and 11.2 ± 0.4 mm in the screw group versus 8.1 ± 0.3, 8.9 ± 0.3, 9.1 ± 0.4 and 8.2 ± 0.5 mm in the button group (P < 0.001). Femoral diameters measured 8.6 ± 0.2, 10.5 ± 0.4, 10.2 ± 0.3, and 8.9 ± 0.3 versus 7.3 ± 0.3, 8.4 ± 0.4, 8.4 ± 0.3, 7.5 ± 0.3, respectively (P ≤ 0.007). Four patients (33%) in the screw group exceeded a diameter of 12 mm on the tibial side after 5 years versus none in the button group (not significant, P = 0.104). Tibial anteroposterior translation measurement with KT-1000 after 5 years was 2.3 ± 2.4 mm in the screw group versus 3.2 ± 3.5 mm in the button group (not significant, P = 0.602). There were no significant differences between the groups in any of the other clinical outcomes. CONCLUSION: Tibial tunnels in ACLR with screw fixation were associated with a larger increase in tunnel volume within the first 2 years and a greater decrease up to 5 years after surgery, while femoral tunnel volumes did not differ significantly. On the tibial side, the need for staged revision ACLR may be greater after biodegradable interference screw fixation if repeat ruptures occur, especially within the first 2 years after primary ACLR. Concerns may remain regarding a higher graft failure rate with all-inside ACLR. LEVEL OF EVIDENCE: II. RCT CONSORT: NCT01755819.

Malariological baseline survey and in vitro antimalarial drug resistance in Gulu district, Northern Uganda.

A comprehensive, representative malaria survey has been carried out in a population of internally displaced persons (IDP) in the district of Gulu, Northern Uganda. It included 74 households and 390 persons, and covered socio-economic and environmental information, individual physical data, malaria and the drug sensitivity of Plasmodium falciparum. The prevalence of infections with Plasmodium falciparum was 54.4% at a geometric mean asexual parasitaemia of 229/microl blood, typical for hyperendemic conditions. P. falciparum turned out to be highly resistant to chloroquine and amodiaquine. It showed also reduced sensitivity against lumefantrine and artemisinin, obviously the result of the liberal use of the lumefantrine-artemether combination without evidence-based indication.

An integrated MELD model including serum sodium and age improves the prediction of early mortality in patients with cirrhosis.

The Model for End-Stage Liver Disease (MELD) is widely used to predict the short-term mortality in patients with cirrhosis, but potential limitations of this score have been reported. The aim of this study was to improve the score's prognostic accuracy by assessing new objective variables. Data of 310 consecutive patients with cirrhosis who underwent elective transjugular intrahepatic portosystemic shunt placement between July 1995 and March 2005 were analyzed retrospectively. Bivariate and multivariate analyses were performed by proportional hazard Cox regression models. The area under the receiver operating characteristic curve (auROC) and the likelihood ratio test were used to evaluate the performance of the models for predicting early mortality. Findings were validated in a cohort of 451 consecutive patients with cirrhosis on waiting list for liver transplantation. Bivariate analyses showed that the following variables correlated with time to death: age, serum bilirubin, serum creatinine, international normalized ratio of prothrombin time, serum albumin, serum sodium, and MELD. Multivariate analysis revealed that MELD, serum sodium, and age were independently associated with the risk of death. The integrated MELD model (iMELD, incorporating serum sodium and age) was better than original MELD in predicting 12-month mortality: auROC increased by 13.4% and the likelihood ratio statistic from 23.5 to 48.2. The improved accuracy of iMELD was confirmed in the validation sample of 451 patients with cirrhosis on the waiting list for liver transplantation by increasing auROC (+8%) and likelihood ratio statistic (from 41.4 to 82.0). This study shows that in patients with cirrhosis, serum sodium and age are predictors of mortality independent of the MELD score. The incorporation of these variables into the original MELD formula improves the predictive accuracy of time to death.