Editorial Commentary: Cost Savings Related to Ambulatory Surgery Center Use Almost Exclusively Benefit the Payor.

Use of ambulatory surgery centers for orthopaedic procedures has been on the rise. The cost of any given ambulatory procedure tends to be less at an ambulatory surgery center than at a hospital outpatient department. People may assume that these cost savings benefit the patient, but recent research using claims and reimbursement databases shows minimal patient out-of-pocket cost reduction, and this minimal reduction is gradually increasing. The research also shows lower surgeon and facility reimbursement. The payor primarily benefits. The explanation probably lies in the fact that for procedures such as hip arthroscopy, patients are likely to meet their deductibles and out-of-pocket maximums regardless of venue, and any cost reduction for these types of procedures almost exclusively benefits the payor. Compounding this, increasing deductibles and copayment requirements, as have been prevalent in recent years, likely contribute to overall increased patient out-of-pocket expenditures seen over time.

Editorial Commentary: Iliopsoas Tenotomy for Pain After Total Hip: A Great Operation IF the Diagnosis Is Right.

Iliopsoas tendon pain can be a frustrating condition for both patients and surgeons after total hip arthroplasty. It is difficult to diagnose definitively, as there is no imaging modality that offers reliable information and there are numerous causes of persistent groin pain in this patient population. The pain can ruin the results of an otherwise well-functioning total hip arthroplasty. Patients who respond best to arthroscopic iliopsoas tenotomy are those with isolated pain with hip flexion activities and reproducible pain with resisted hip flexion on examination or other provocative iliopsoas maneuvers. Patients with these symptoms in addition to more generalized pain findings (pain with weight-bearing, pain at night, pain with passive range of motion) tend not to respond as favorably to isolated iliopsoas tenotomy. In addition, optimal treatment for refractory cases has been controversial historically, as both acetabular component revision and iliopsoas tendon lengthening have been advocated. With the ever-increasing popularity of hip arthroscopy and recent clinical outcome reports, arthroscopic (or endoscopic) iliopsoas tenotomy has proven to be a very safe and effective treatment option for these patients, with one caveat: the diagnosis must be correct.

Decreased Postural Control in Patients Undergoing Anterior Cruciate Ligament Reconstruction Compared to Healthy Controls.

CONTEXT: Patients with anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) tears are likely to have deficient dynamic postural stability compared with healthy sex- and age-matched controls. OBJECTIVES: To test the hypothesis that patients undergoing ACL reconstruction have decreased dynamic postural stability compared with matched healthy controls. DESIGN: Prospective case-control study. SETTING: Orthopedic sports medicine and physical therapy clinics. PATIENTS OR OTHER PARTICIPANTS: Patients aged 20 years and younger with an ACL tear scheduled for reconstruction were enrolled prospectively. Controls were recruited from local high schools and colleges via flyers. INTERVENTIONS: Patients underwent double-stance dynamic postural stability testing prior to surgery, recording time to failure and dynamic motion analysis (DMA) scores. Patients were then matched with healthy controls. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: Demographics, time to failure, and DMA scores were compared between groups. RESULTS: A total of 19 females and 12 males with ACL tears were matched with controls. Individuals with ACL tears were more active (Marx activity score: 15.7 [1.0] vs 10.8 [4.9], P < .001); had shorter times until test failure (84.4 [15.8] vs 99.5 [14.5] s, P < .001); and had higher (worse) DMA scores (627 [147] vs 481 [132], P < .001), indicating less dynamic postural stability. Six patients with ACL deficiency (1 male and 5 females) demonstrated lower (better) DMA scores than their controls, and another 7 (4 males and 3 females) were within 20% of controls. CONCLUSIONS: Patients undergoing ACL reconstruction had worse global dynamic postural stability compared with well-matched controls. This may represent the effect of the ACL injury or preexisting deficits that contributed to the injury itself. These differences should be studied further to evaluate their relevance to ACL injury risk, rehabilitation, and return to play.

Editorial Commentary: Revision Arthroscopy for Borderline Dysplastic Hips: A Borderline Surgical Indication.

Patients with mild or borderline acetabular dysplasia who present with refractory hip pain are challenging patients. Recommending open versus arthroscopic surgery for these patients is a difficult decision, in part because there are conflicting data regarding the outcomes of these procedures. Equally challenging is deciding on a treatment course in a borderline dysplastic patient who has not responded to a previous arthroscopic surgery. Surgeons must give great consideration before recommending revision arthroscopy in this setting.

Editorial Commentary: Is Back Pain Killing Your Hip Arthroscopy Outcomes?

The identification of factors associated with inferior postoperative outcomes after hip arthroscopy is critical as we try to further clarify indications for hip arthroscopy. Recent arthroplasty studies have shown worse outcomes after hip and knee replacement in patients with comorbid joint and spine pain. Recent evidence has shown this to be true in patients undergoing hip arthroscopy as well. This evidence helps surgeons counsel patients better preoperatively and manage their expectations postoperatively. Patients with comorbid joint and spine pain should expect improvements in pain and function after hip arthroscopy; however, the overall functional outcomes are worse than those in patients without these comorbid conditions.

Arthroscopic Lateral Retinacular Release in Adolescents With Medial Patellofemoral Ligament-centered Knee Pain.

BACKGROUND: The medial patellofemoral ligament (MPFL) has been implicated as a common pain generator in adolescents with anterior knee pain. The purpose of this study is to report the clinical outcomes of arthroscopic lateral retinacular release (ALRR) for refractory MPFL-centered pain and to identify risk factors for poor outcomes and surgical failures. METHODS: A single-surgeon database was queried to identify all patients undergoing ALRR. Inclusion criteria included minimum 12-month follow-up and ALRR performed for MPFL pain rather than for generalized anterior knee pain or patellar instability. All patients had persistent MPFL-centered pain despite participating in a nonsurgical protocol before surgery. Primary outcomes included International Knee Documentation Committee (IKDC) subjective score and need for further surgery, typically tibial tubercle osteotomy (TTO). RESULTS: Eighty-eight knees in 71 patients [66 female, 5 male; average age, 15.7 y (range, 8.4 to 20.2 y)] were included. Average follow-up was 59 months (range, 12 to 138 mo). Average preoperative IKDC score was 41.9 (range, 18.4 to 67.8), whereas average postoperative IKDC score was 77.8 (range, 11.5 to 98.9; P<0.01). Postoperative IKDC scores were worse in patients with a preoperative sulcus angle of <134 degrees than those with sulcus angle of ≥134 degrees (69.9±22.1 vs. 82.0±12.5, P=0.04). Lower preoperative IKDC score correlated negatively with improvement of IKDC score postoperatively (r=-0.40, P<0.05). Seventeen knees (19.3%) subsequently underwent TTO for persistent symptoms. Patients who ultimately required TTO were younger than patients who did not (14.8±1.5 vs. 15.9±2.1; P=0.04) and had lower mean preoperative Blackburne-Peel ratio (0.95±0.25 vs. 1.11±0.24; P=0.02). CONCLUSIONS: This study demonstrates that patients with refractory MPFL-centered knee pain had significant improvements in clinical outcomes after undergoing ALRR at mean 5 years' follow-up. Poor outcomes and surgical failures were associated with lower preoperative IKDC score, younger age, lower preoperative Blackburne-Peel ratio, and sulcus angle of <134 degrees. Outcomes were not recorded prospectively, but mean IKDC scores <60 months postoperatively were similar to those collected ≥60 months after surgery (80.4 vs. 78.3, P=0.15). LEVEL OF EVIDENCE: Level IV.

Does proximal tibial osteotomy with a novel osteotomy system obtain coronal plane correction without affecting tibial slope and patellar height?

PURPOSE: To determine changes in tibial slope, patellar height, and coronal plane alignment after medial opening wedge proximal tibial osteotomy (PTO) using a modern osteotomy system. METHODS: Patients undergoing medial opening wedge PTO for any indication with follow-up until radiographic union were identified. Pre- and post-operative tibial slope (referenced off the anterior tibial cortex, proximal tibial anatomic axis, and posterior tibial cortex), patellar height (Caton-Deschamps, Blackburne-Peel, and Insall-Salvati indices), and coronal plane [mechanical axis and weight-bearing line (WBL) ratio] measurements were taken by two observers and compared. RESULTS: Review of 27 patients demonstrated unchanged tibial slope and slightly decreased patellar height post-operatively (Caton-Deschamps: -0.10 ± 0.09; Blackburne-Peel: -0.11 ± 0.10). Coronal plane measurements showed 6.4° ± 1.8° mean change in mechanical axis. Mean post-operative WBL ratio was significantly lower (51.6 ± 11.5 %) than mean goal WBL ratio (62.2 ± 2.5 %). Preoperative mechanical axis >6° varus and osteoarthritis alone as the surgical indication were risk factors for undercorrection >10 %. CONCLUSIONS: Medial opening wedge PTO using a recently developed instrumentation system was found to have no effect on tibial slope. Patellar height was decreased after osteotomy using this system, although clinical significance of these findings is unknown. Coronal plane undercorrection of 10.6 % of the target WBL ratio was seen in the group as a whole, although secondary analysis of these results indicated that patients with medial compartment osteoarthritis and/or preoperative mechanical axis of >6° varus accounted for the majority of the cases of undercorrection. LEVEL OF EVIDENCE: Retrospective case series, Level IV.

Results of revision anterior shoulder stabilization surgery in adolescent athletes.

PURPOSE: The purpose of this study was to determine failure rates, functional outcomes, and risk factors for failure after revision anterior shoulder stabilization surgery in high-risk adolescent athletes. METHODS: Adolescent athletes who underwent primary anterior shoulder stabilization were reviewed. Patients undergoing subsequent revision stabilization surgery were identified and analyzed. Failure rates after revision surgery were assessed by Kaplan-Meier analysis. Failure was defined as recurrent instability requiring reoperation. Functional outcomes included the Marx activity score; American Shoulder and Elbow Surgeons score; and University of California, Los Angeles score. The characteristics of patients who required reoperation for recurrent instability after revision surgery were compared with those of patients who required only a single revision to identify potential risk factors for failure. RESULTS: Of 90 patients who underwent primary anterior stabilization surgery, 15 (17%) had failure and underwent revision surgery (mean age, 16.6 years; age range, 14 to 18 years). The mean follow-up period was 5.5 years (range, 2 to 12 years). Of the 15 revision patients, 5 (33%) had recurrent dislocations and required repeat revision stabilization surgery at a mean of 50 months (range, 22 to 102 months) after initial revision. No risk factors for failure were identified. The Kaplan-Meier reoperation-free estimates were 86% (95% confidence interval, 67% to 100%) at 24 months and 78% (95% confidence interval, 56% to 100%) at 48 months after revision surgery. The mean final Marx activity score was 14.8 (range, 5 to 20); American Shoulder and Elbow Surgeons score, 82.1 (range, 33 to 100); and University of California, Los Angeles score, 30.8 (range, 16 to 35). CONCLUSIONS: At 5.5 years' follow-up, adolescent athletes had a high failure rate of revision stabilization surgery and modest functional outcomes. We were unable to convincingly identify specific risk factors for failure of revision surgery. LEVEL OF EVIDENCE: Level IV, retrospective therapeutic case series.

Acute compartment syndrome after intramedullary nailing of isolated radius and ulna fractures in children.

BACKGROUND: There exist varying reports in the literature regarding the incidence of compartment syndrome (CS) after intramedullary (IM) fixation of pediatric forearm fractures. A retrospective review of the experience with this treatment modality at our institution was performed to elucidate the rate of postoperative CS and identify risk factors for developing this complication. METHODS: In this retrospective case series, we reviewed the charts of all patients treated operatively for isolated radius and ulnar shaft fractures from 2000 to 2009 at our institution and identified 113 patients who underwent IM fixation of both-bone forearm fractures. There were 74 closed fractures and 39 open fractures including 31 grade I fractures, 7 grade II fractures, and 1 grade IIIA fracture. If the IM nail could not be passed easily across the fracture site, a small open approach was used to aid reduction. RESULTS: CS occurred in 3 of 113 patients (2.7%). CS occurred in 3 of 39 (7.7%) of the open fractures compared with none of 74 closed fractures (P=0.039), including 45 closed fractures that were treated within 24 hours of injury. An open reduction was performed in all of the open fractures and 38 (51.4%) of the closed fractures. Increased operative time was associated with developing CS postoperatively (168 vs. 77 min, P<0.001). CS occurred within the first 24 postoperative hours in all 3 cases. CONCLUSION: CS was an uncommon complication after IM fixation of pediatric diaphyseal forearm fractures in this retrospective case series. Open fractures and longer operative times were associated with developing CS after surgery. None of 45 patients who underwent IM nailing of closed fractures within 24 hours of injury developed CS; however, 51.4% of these patients required a small open approach to aid reduction and nail passage. We believe that utilizing a small open approach for reduction of one or both bones, thereby avoiding the soft-tissue trauma of multiple attempts to reduce the fracture and pass the nail, leads to decreased soft-tissue trauma and a lower rate of CS. We recommend a low threshold for converting to open reduction in cases where closed reduction is difficult.

Fibular head and tibial-based (2-Tailed) posterolateral corner reconstruction.

Two-tailed techniques for reconstruction of the posterolateral corner use grafts that originate on the femur and insert onto both the proximal tibia and the fibular head. Two-tailed reconstruction aims to reconstruct the fibular collateral ligament, popliteus tendon, and popliteofibular ligament with anatomically placed grafts. This article will review the history, indications, and authors' preferred technique for 2-tailed posterolateral corner reconstruction, as well as biomechanical and clinical outcomes of this technique.

Open Anatomic Reconstruction of the Medial Collateral Ligament and Posteromedial Corner.

Injuries to the medial collateral ligament (MCL) and posteromedial corner can occur in isolation or in the setting of multiligamentous knee injuries. Reconstruction of the MCL and posteromedial corner is indicated in the setting of a multiligamentous knee injury. Isolated cases failing nonoperative treatment may also undergo surgical treatment. Our preferred technique for anatomic medial-sided knee reconstruction is an open anatomic MCL reconstruction using an Achilles tendon allograft along with direct repair of all associated medial and posteromedial structures.

All-inside anterior cruciate ligament reconstruction.

All-inside anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) reconstruction has undergone a series of modifications over the past 20 years. Current techniques offer the advantages of improved cosmesis, less postoperative pain, decreased bone removal, and gracilis preservation. Few all-inside ACL reconstruction outcome studies are available; therefore, additional research is necessary to compare the results to conventional techniques. The purpose of this article is to review the evolution of all-inside ACL reconstruction, the advantages and disadvantages, our preferred technique, and clinical experience to date.

Arthroscopic Meniscal Root Repair Using a Ceterix NovoStitch Suture Passer.

Meniscal root injuries can compromise knee function and lead to early degenerative changes if not appropriately treated. Numerous techniques have been described; however, the technical difficulties in performing these repairs are well known. Furthermore, the relative strengths of various repair techniques have been examined. This article describes a single-working portal meniscal root repair technique using a double-locking loop suture configuration with a novel suture-passing device that offers a strong, reproducible repair construct.

Correlation between magnetic resonance imaging and clinical outcomes after cartilage repair surgery in the knee: a systematic review and meta-analysis.

BACKGROUND: Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) is often used to assess cartilage after surgical repair. The correlation between MRI and clinical outcomes is not well understood. HYPOTHESIS: Postoperative MRI findings correlate with clinical outcome measures in patients after articular cartilage surgery of the knee. STUDY DESIGN: Meta-analysis. METHODS: A systematic review of the literature was performed to identify studies in which MRI and clinical outcomes were correlated after autologous chondrocyte implantation (ACI), osteochondral autograft transfer system (OATS), or microfracture. Studies that reported correlation coefficients (r) for different MRI parameters were then included in a meta-analysis. RESULTS: A total of 26 studies were identified for inclusion in this systematic review, 15 of which were included in the meta-analysis. Most of the studies (n = 19) involved ACI, although studies were available for OATS (n = 5) and microfracture (n = 4). The strongest MRI correlates with clinical outcomes after ACI were graft hypertrophy (r = 0.72) and repair tissue signal (r = 0.71). After microfracture, the strongest MRI correlates were the Henderson score (r = 0.97), subchondral edema (r = 0.77), and repair tissue signal (r = 0.76). Correlations after OATS were not as strong, with defect fill (r = 0.53) and repair tissue structure (r = 0.51) being the strongest. CONCLUSION: The MRI findings do correlate with clinical outcomes after cartilage repair surgery in the knee, although the specific parameters that correlate best vary by the type of procedure performed. No current MRI classification system has been shown to correlate with clinical outcomes after all types of cartilage repair surgery.

Cadaveric flatfoot model: ligament attenuation and Achilles tendon overpull.

Flatfoot deformity is characterized by loss of the medial longitudinal arch, forefoot abduction, hindfoot eversion, and often Achilles tendon contracture. Our objectives were to validate a cadaveric flatfoot model that involves selective ligament attenuation and to determine if Achilles tendon overpull is associated with increased pes planus severity. We measured the three-dimensional (3D) orientation of the bones of interest in the unloaded, loaded, and Achilles tendon overpull conditions. A flatfoot model was created by attenuating ligaments involved in the pes planus deformity followed by cyclic axial loading, and bone orientations were acquired in the three conditions. Significant differences seen between normal feet and flat feet were consistent with those seen with the pes planus deformity. The first metatarsal dorsiflexed and abducted relative to the talus. The navicular abducted relative to the talus. The calcaneus everted relative to the tibia. The talus plantar flexed and adducted. Achilles overpull resulted in first metatarsal-to-talus dorsiflexion and navicular-to-talus abduction. Thus, selective ligament attenuation followed by cyclic axial loading can create a cadaveric flatfoot model consistent with the in vivo deformity. Longitudinal arch depression, hindfoot eversion, talonavicular joint abduction, forefoot abduction, and talar plantar flexion were seen. Simulated Achilles tendon contracture increased the severity of the deformity, particularly in arch depression and forefoot abduction.