Revisability of polyetheretherketone suture anchors utilised in primary and revision Bankart repair.

BACKGROUND: Polyetheretherketone (PEEK) suture anchors are frequently used in Bankart shoulder stabilisation. This study analyzed the primary stability and revisability of PEEK anchors in-vitro in case of primary Bankart repair and revision Bankart repair after failed primary repair. METHODS: To simulate primary Bankart repair, 12 anchors (Arthrex PEEK PushLock® 3.5 mm) were implanted in 1, 3, 5, 7, 9 and 11 o'clock positions in cadaveric human glenoids and then cyclically tested. To simulate revision Bankart repair, 12 anchors were implanted in the same manner, over-drilled and 12 new anchors of the same diameter were implanted into the same bone socket as the primary anchors and then cyclically tested. The maximum failure loads (Fmax), system displacements, force at clinical failure and modes of failure were recorded. RESULTS: One primary anchor failed prematurely due to a technical problem. Three out of 12 revision anchors (25%) dislocated while setting the 25 N preload. The Fmax, the displacement and clinical failure of the remaining 9 revision anchors were non-significant when compared to the 11 primary repair anchors. The main mode of failure in the primary and revision Bankart surgery group was suture slippage. Anchor dislocations were observed four times in the primary and once in the revision repair groups. CONCLUSIONS: Revision Bankart repair using PEEK anchors of the same diameter in a pre-existing bone socket is possible but bears high risk of premature anchor failure and can jeopardize the reconstruction. PEEK suture anchor in revision Bankart surgery should be implanted in a new bone socket if possible.

Significant increase of pathogen detection rate by dry arthroscopic biopsies at suspected low-grade infection following total knee arthroplasty: a prospective observational study.

INTRODUCTION: The differentiation between stiff-knee and low-grade periprosthetic joint infection (PJI) is the current diagnostic challenge in total knee (TKA) revision arthroplasty. The aim of this study was to investigate the additional value of dry biopsies, compared to wet biopsies, in patients presenting with knee stiffness following primary TKA. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Single center, prospective observational study. Consecutive patients with joint stiffness of unknown origin following primary TKA were enrolled. Patient assessment followed the diagnostic standard algorithm. During diagnostic arthroscopy, synovial fluid (synovial WBC, PMN%) and five dry biopsies (dry) were collected. Then fluid was infused and another five microbiology (wet) and five histological biopsies gathered, all from identical locations. The primary outcome parameter was the difference between the pathogens in wet and dry biopsies. RESULTS: 71 patients (61% females, 67 ± 10 years) were eligible. Preoperative blood serology mean CRP (0.7 ± 1.5 mg/dl; p = 0.852), WBC (6.6 ± 1.7 G/l; p = 0.056), and synovial fluid mean WBC (1639 ± 2111; p = 0.602), PMN% (38 ± 28; p = 0.738) did not differ between patients with negative, positive wet or dry biopsies. The histology was in 11% positive (p = 0.058). In 32% at least one pathogen was detected, 48% from wet, 44% from dry biopsies. An inhomogeneous distribution was found. Cutibacterium acnes (100%) was solely found in wet, Micrococcus luteus (75%), Staphylococcus capitis (67%), and Micrococcus lylae (100%) were predominantly found in dry biopsies. Additional dry biopsies increased the pathogen detection rate by 49%. CONCLUSION: The addition of dry biopsies to the current standard diagnostic algorithm for PJI increased the pathogen detection rate by 49%.

Influence of testing conditions on primary stability of arthroscopic knot tying for rotator cuff repair: slippery when wet?

PURPOSE: The purpose was to evaluate whether the knot security of sliding and nonsliding knots with different sutures is influenced by dry or wet conditions. METHODS: We tested 5 suture materials, all of them US Pharmacopeia No. 2: PDS (polydioxanone) II (Ethicon, Somerville, NJ), Ethibond (Ethicon), and 3 ultrahigh-molecular weight polyethylene (UHMWPE) sutures-FiberWire (Arthrex, Naples, FL), Orthocord (DePuy Mitek, Raynham, MA), and Herculine (Linvatec, Largo, FL). Testing was performed under dry and wet conditions with sutures soaked in a saline solution. Cyclic loading was performed to simulate physiologic conditions. We started with a tensile load of 25 N. After 100 cycles, the load was increased to 50 N for another 100 cycles. The tensile load was gradually increased by 25 N per 100 cycles until suture rupture or knot slippage, defined as lengthening over 3 mm. RESULTS: Under dry conditions, 170 suture ruptures and 30 knot slippages were reported; and under wet testing conditions, 186 suture ruptures and 14 knot slippages were reported, with P < .044 and P < .027, respectively. Failure by knot slippage (n = 44) was seen under dry and saline solution conditions mainly with UHMWPE sutures, in particular with the Herculine suture using a Roeder knot showing comparable maximum failure loads in dry (274.5 ± 58.2 N) and saline solution (312.5 ± 14.2 N) conditions (P > .056). Knot slippage occurred only with sliding knots. With the Ethibond suture, no knot slippage was found regardless of the testing conditions and knot type. Across all knot types, the UHMWPE sutures were significantly stronger with respect to clinical and maximum failure loads in ultimate load to failure than Ethibond and PDS II under dry and wet testing conditions (P < .001 for both). CONCLUSIONS: We conclude that testing of different suture materials and knot types is different in wet versus dry conditions and believe that biomechanical testing might be more realistic in a wet environment. CLINICAL RELEVANCE: Suture knots behave differently in a wet versus dry environment, and testing of knot mechanics might better be carried out in wet environments.

Discoid lateral meniscus in children: magnetic resonance imaging after arthroscopic resection.

PURPOSE: The discoid meniscus is a common meniscal anomaly. Symptomatic discoid menisci treated by arthroscopic surgery were examined preoperatively and postoperatively by magnetic resonance imaging (MRI). Aim of this study was to quantify the amount of meniscal resection when treating discoid meniscus in children by partial meniscectomy. The hypothesis was that partial meniscectomy left sufficient amounts of meniscal tissue. METHODS: A quantitative evaluation of meniscal size comparing preoperative and postoperative data after partial meniscectomy was performed by MRI (n = 6). The anteroposterior meniscal diameter and anterior and posterior thickness were measured. The relative postoperative thickness to preoperative thickness was defined. All patients were graded according to Lysholm score and Ikeuchi knee scale. RESULTS: The quantitative MRI evaluation showed a pronounced reduction of the anteroposterior meniscal diameter (42%) and anterior thickness (41%) after partial meniscectomy, whereas the posterior thickness showed a mean increase of 50%. According to Ikeuchi, all clinical postoperative findings were excellent and displayed an increase in Lysholm score. CONCLUSIONS: MRI findings showed that the amount of remaining tissue after partial meniscectomy was smaller than aspired. Especially in the anterior joint, the final size of remaining meniscal tissue was overestimated intraoperatively. It may be concluded that in arthroscopic partial meniscectomy, the final meniscal size, especially in the anterior part of the joint, is difficult to assess. As it is known that the extent of meniscal resection plays a crucial role in the clinical course of discoid menisci, these data claim retentiveness in resecting meniscal tissue.

What humeri are suitable for comparative testing of suture anchors? An ultrastructural bone analysis and biomechanical study of ovine, bovine and human humeri and four different anchor types.

For testing of fixation devices such as suture anchors used in rotator cuff repair often animal bones are used. They are easily obtained, inexpensive and some have been found to be similar to human bone. But can we rely on the results drawn from these studies in our daily surgical practice? The purpose of this study was to compare the trabecular bone mineral density, the trabecular bone volume fraction and the cortical layer thickness in the greater tubercle in different species to evaluate their influence on primary stability of suture anchors under a cyclic loading protocol representing the physiologic forces placed on rotator cuff repairs in vivo. Bovine and ovine humeri are not suitable for suture anchor testing. The statistical significances for pullout forces between the anchors varied from species to species. Therefore, no very applicable information can be obtained from testing suture anchors in ovine or bovine humeri with regard to ultimate failure loads in human humeri. The ultimate failure load seems to depend mainly on the cortical thickness and on the subcortical trabecular bone quality.