Surgical Treatment of Acute Grade III Medial Collateral Ligament Injury Combined With Anterior Cruciate Ligament Injury: Anatomic Ligament Repair Versus Triangular Ligament Reconstruction.

PURPOSE: The purpose of this study was to evaluate the clinical results of medial collateral ligament (MCL) anatomic ligament repair (ALR) and triangular ligament reconstruction (TLR) in treating acute grade III MCL injury with respect to imaging and functional results. METHODS: Between January 2009 and October 2011, a total of 69 patients with an acute grade III MCL tear combined with an anterior cruciate ligament tear were divided into 2 groups: those who underwent ALR and those who underwent TLR. Single-bundle anterior cruciate ligament reconstruction was also performed in all patients. A radiographic stress-position imaging test was performed to evaluate excessive medial opening of the knee. In addition, the Slocum test was carried out to assess anteromedial rotatory instability before surgery and at follow-up. The subjective symptoms and functional outcomes were evaluated preoperatively and postoperatively with International Knee Documentation Committee (IKDC) assessment. RESULTS: Sixty-four patients with a mean follow-up period of 34 months were included in the final analysis. The measurement results for medial opening at the last follow-up appointment decreased significantly from the pretreatment measurements and fell within the normal range, without a statistically significant difference between the 2 groups (P > .05). The overall incidence of anteromedial rotatory instability was reduced to 21.9% compared with 62.5% preoperatively. However, the incidence of anteromedial rotatory instability in the TLR group (9.4%) decreased significantly compared with that in the ALR group (34.4%) (P < .05). All patients' IKDC subjective scores significantly improved after surgery. No statistically significant difference was found between the 2 groups at the last follow-up (P > .05). The comparison of IKDC extension and flexion deficit scores between the 2 groups showed no significant differences. Eleven patients in the ALR group and 4 in the TLR group complained of medial knee pain. The comparison between the 2 groups showed no significant difference (P > .05). CONCLUSIONS: The clinical outcomes of this study showed that no major difference existed in the ALR and TLR groups based on IKDC scores and medial opening evaluations in the short-term. However, TLR offered better rotatory stability than ALR at final follow-up. LEVEL OF EVIDENCE: Level II, lesser-quality randomized controlled trial.

Incidence of deep venous thrombosis in Chinese patients undergoing arthroscopic knee surgery for cruciate ligament reconstruction.

PURPOSE: This study investigated the incidence of deep venous thrombosis (DVT) in patients undergoing arthroscopic cruciate ligament surgery. METHODS: A total of 282 patients were examined by color Doppler ultrasound preoperatively and 3 and 7 days postoperatively. RESULTS: DVT was present in 34 of 282 patients (12.1 %); of these, 11 (32.6 %) underwent reconstruction of the anterior cruciate ligament (ACL), alone or in conjunction with the medial or lateral collateral ligament (MCL or LCL, respectively; 17.6 %); eight (23.5 %) of the posterior cruciate ligament (PCL); four (11.8 %) of the PCL-MCL/LCL; and five (14.7 %) of the ACL-MCL. In patients with tourniquets applied for <90, 90-120, and >120 min, the incidence of DVT was 5.6, 12.8, and 17.4 %, respectively. CONCLUSION: The incidence of DVT in normal patients undergoing ACL surgery was 12.1 %. A higher incidence was observed among cases of multiligament reconstruction, especially those involving the PCL, as well as in patients with tourniquets applied for more than 2 h. Based on these findings, prophylactic measures for DVT may be considered after arthroscopic knee surgery in order to decrease the incidence of DVT if specific risk factors are present. LEVELS OF EVIDENCE: IV.

Solitary Scapular Metastasis as the First Presentation of Prostate Adenocarcinoma Identified on 99mTc-MDP SPECT/CT.

ABSTRACT: Metastases of prostate carcinoma in the skeleton are usually multiple. Solitary metastasis in appendicular skeleton is extremely rare. We present bone scan findings of solitary scapular metastasis from prostate adenocarcinoma as the initial presentation of his malignancy in a 62-year-old man. The 99mTc-MDP SPECT/CT demonstrated intense activity in the coracoid process of left scapula, whereas the tracer uptakes in other bones were not typical of metastases. The subsequent pathological results of the punctured left scapula confirmed as metastasis from prostate adenocarcinoma.

A Sagittal Patellar Angle Linear Equation Reflecting Patellofemoral Kinematics: Evaluation of Patellar Height at any Degree of Knee Flexion Angle.

OBJECTIVE: To confirm whether a novel sagittal patellar angle linear equation used for evaluating patellar height by calculating expected sagittal patellar angle (SPA) at any degree of knee flexion angle is suitable for patients older than 17 years and its reliability compared with other commonly used methods. METHODS: From September 2016 to September 2019, a total number of 202 consecutive outpatients' knee lateral X-ray radiographs were retrospectively measured and evaluated using a recently proposed linear equation Y = 1.94 + 0.74 × knee flexion(KF) angle. Patients were divided by ages into ayounger group, whose ages were between 17-49 years, and an older group, whose ages were older than 49 years, which has not been validated in the original study. Parameters such as KF, SPA, patella and patella tendon length and so on were measured on computer with picture archiving and communication system by two independent observers at an interval of 1 month. Insall-Salvati (IS) index, Caton-Deschamps (CD) index and Y value, correlation coefficients were calculated and compared using SPSS 22.0 software. RESULTS: In the younger group, 143 patients (165 knees) were included, ages were 17-49 (31.62 ± 11.38) years, males/females were 70 (48.95%)/73 (51.05%), left knees/right knees were 83 (50.30%)/82 (49.70%), mean value of Y was 31.50° ± 10.07°, and SPA was 34.38° ± 12.38°, mean value of IS was 1.06 ± 0.17, mean value of CD was 1.04 ± 0.18. While in older group, 59 patients (78 knees) were included, ages were 50-60 (mean 54.61 ± 2.99) years, there were 32 males (54.24%) and 27 females (45.76%), 42 knees were left (53.85%) and 36 knees were right (46.15%), mean values of Y and SPA were 25.90° ± 11.55° and 29.36° ± 14.22°, mean IS index in older group was 1.06 ± 0.18, mean CD index was 1.00 ± 0.16. Intra- and inter-observer reliabilities of Y in younger and older groups were 0.999, 0.999, 1.000 and 0.999, meaning high reliability and reproducibility, but low Pearson's correlation coefficients with IS and CD index were showed as -0.213 and - 0.216 in younger group and - 0.113 and - 0.316 in older group. CONCLUSIONS: In patients older than 17 years, the linear equation Y = 1.94 + 0.74 × KF is a reliable and practical method to evaluate SPA regardless of age and knee flexion angle, but has weak correlation coefficients with the IS and CD index.