Editorial Commentary: Large, Deep, and Cystic Osteochondral Lesions of the Talus May Be Better Treated With Bone Grafting Techniques or Autologous Osteochondral Transplantation Rather Than Bone Marrow Stimulation.

Osteochondral lesions of the talus are a challenging problem to treat. Debridement with bone marrow stimulation has represented the mainstay of treatment for the injuries, with good to excellent results reported. However, some patients do not do well with simple debridement and bone marrow stimulation, which yields a surface of fibrocartilage rather than articular cartilage. Recent studies have focused on prognostic indicators of successful treatment with bone marrow stimulation techniques, including lesion size, ankle stability, lesion location, containment, and the presence of a cyst, among others. The presence of a large bone cyst may be an indication for a more aggressive approach. Cystic lesions may be better suited for bone grafting techniques or articular cartilage replacement procedures (e.g., autologous osteochondral transplantation). Of importance, lesions larger than 90-100 mm sq and deeper than 7.5 mm may be similarly treated.

Freddie Fu: A Leader of Leaders.

Freddie Fu had a profound and undeniable impact on the field of orthopaedic surgery. He was a leader both personally and professionally and dedicated his career to ensuring that those around him had the opportunity to thrive. His life and career were distinguished by his exceptional leadership, boundless collaboration, and dedication to diversity. Freddie Fu's ability to train future leaders represents one of his greatest professional legacies, which will continue to permeate the field of orthopaedic surgery for decades to come. He was a giant, and those fortunate enough to train under him are better because of it.

Stress Shielding of Ligaments Using Nonabsorbable Suture Augmentation May Influence the Biology of Ligament Healing.

Nonabsorbable suture augmentation of ligament reconstruction has seen an increase in use over the past several years with the goal of protecting the newly reconstructed ligament while allowing early rehabilitation for a potential earlier return to activity and sport. By spanning the joint with a durable nonabsorbable suture, this construct shares the stress and load seen by the reconstructed ligament, thereby protecting it from forces that could result in an early failure during the early ligamentization phase of the tendon graft. However, stress shielding of the ligament via nonabsorbable suture augmentation is also a double-edged sword, as a reduction in the stress and load seen by the ligament during this healing phase may ultimately have an impact on the final strength and composition of the reconstructed ligament. Although the long-term effects of this stress shielding have yet to be studied or reported in human subjects, multiple biomechanical and animal studies have demonstrated overall changes in architecture, tensile strength, and mechanical properties of a stress-shielded autograft ligament reconstruction.

Thread Delamination in 4.5 mm AO Cannulated Screws: A Small Case Series in the Pediatric Trauma Population.

BACKGROUND: Thread delamination associated with cannulated screws have been reported but likely represent an under-recognized complication in the orthopaedic literature. The purpose of this study is to report the occurrence of repeated hardware failures through thread delamination in the setting of a commonly used orthopaedic cannulated screw implant in a small cohort involving pediatric fracture care at a single academic level I trauma center. METHODS: Between August 2015 and December 2020, 9 cases of hardware failure associated with 4.5 mm arbeitsgemeinschaft für osteosynthesefragen cannulated stainless-steel screws were identified within a pediatric orthopaedic division at a single academic level I trauma center. Three cases were excluded, and 6 cases of thread delamination were retrospectively reviewed. RESULTS: Six cases of thread delamination comprised a cohort of patients with a mean age of 13.7 years (range: 12 to 15 y). All cases involved 4.5 mm arbeitsgemeinschaft für osteosynthesefragen cannulated screws, including 5 partially threaded and 1 fully threaded screw. Five cases involved open reduction and internal fixation of incarcerated medial humeral epicondylar fragments and the other case was an open reduction and internal fixation of a displaced medial malleolar fracture. Five of these occurred within a recent 18-month period of time. There were 4 cases of partial, distal thread delamination, 1 case of partial proximal thread delamination and another case of complete thread delamination which had unwound into the tibiotalar joint and required an anterior ankle arthrotomy to retrieve the thread. None of the 5 patients in this series who currently harbor a retained thread have experienced symptoms because of this issue. CONCLUSIONS: Thread delamination associated with cannulated screw implantation likely represents an under-reported phenomenon in orthopaedic surgery. In cases where retained, delaminated threads exist, these do not appear to cause short-term concern. LEVEL OF EVIDENCE: Level IV-case series.

The Role of Platelet-Rich Plasma in Cartilage Pathology: An Updated Systematic Review of the Basic Science Evidence.

PURPOSE: To review the basic science studies on platelet-rich plasma (PRP) for cartilage and determine whether there has been an improvement in methodology and outcome reporting that would allow for a more meaningful analysis regarding the mechanism of action and efficacy of PRP for cartilage pathology. METHODS: The PubMed/MEDLINE and EMBASE databases were screened in May 2017 with publication dates of January 2011 through May 2017 using the following key words: "platelet-rich plasma OR PRP OR autologous conditioned plasma (ACP) OR ACP AND cartilage OR chondrocytes OR chondrogenesis OR osteoarthritis OR arthritis." Two authors independently performed the search, determined study inclusion, and extracted data. Data extracted included cytology/description of PRP, study design, and results. RESULTS: Twenty-seven studies (11 in vitro, 13 in vivo, 3 in vitro and in vivo) met the inclusion criteria and were included in the study. All of the studies (100%) reported the method by which PRP was prepared. Two studies reported basic cytologic analysis of PRP, including platelet, white blood cell, and red blood cell counts (6.7%). Nine studies reported both platelet count and white blood cell count (30.0%). Twelve studies reported platelet count alone (40.0%). Nine studies (30.0%) made no mention at all as to the composition of the PRP used. PRP was shown to increase cell viability, cell proliferation, cell migration, and differentiation. Several studies demonstrated increased proteoglycan and type II collagen content. PRP decreased inflammation in 75.0% of the in vitro studies reporting data and resulted in improved histologic quality of the cartilage tissue in 75.0% of the in vivo studies reporting data. CONCLUSIONS: Although the number of investigations on PRP for cartilage pathology has more than doubled since 2012, the quality of the literature remains limited by poor methodology and outcome reporting. A majority of basic science studies suggest that PRP has beneficial effects on cartilage pathology; however, the inability to compare across studies owing to a lack of standardization of study methodology, including characterizing the contents of PRP, remains a significant limitation. Future basic science and clinical studies must at a minimum report the contents of PRP to better understand the clinical role of PRP for cartilage pathology. CLINICAL RELEVANCE: Establishing proof of concept for PRP to treat cartilage pathology is important so that high-quality clinical studies with appropriate indications can be performed.

Medical comorbidities increase the rate of surgical site infection in primary Achilles tendon repair.

PURPOSE: To assess the effects of medical comorbidities on the incidence of surgical site infection following primary Achilles tendon repair. A secondary aim was to assess the effects of specific medical comorbidities on the cost and extent of healthcare utilization related to surgical site infection following primary Achilles tendon repair. METHODS: 24,269 patients undergoing primary Achilles tendon repair between 2005 and 2012 were examined. Current Procedural Terminology codes for primary Achilles tendon repair, and incision and drainage were used to search for and compile patient data from the United Healthcare Orthopedic and Medicare databases. Primary outcome measures regarding surgical site infection following primary Achilles tendon repair included the rate of occurrence, cost, and duration of treatment. RESULTS: Patients with one or more preexisting medical comorbidities at the time of surgery had an increased rate of surgical site infection compared to those without. Diabetes and vascular complications were associated with the highest surgical site infection rates. The rate of surgical incision and drainage was higher in patients with cardiac arrhythmias and uncomplicated hypertension. The presence of a medical comorbidity significantly increased the cost and duration of surgical site infection treatment. CONCLUSIONS: Medical comorbidities can complicate the postoperative course for patients undergoing Achilles tendon repair, which increases the cost of care and duration of treatment. A better understanding of the relationship between each medical comorbidity and surgical site infections following Achilles tendon repair may be ascertained with additional prospective studies, thus, allowing for a more accurate evaluation and stratification of surgical candidates to improve patient outcomes. LEVEL OF EVIDENCE: Retrospective cohort study, Level III.

Postoperative Reoperations and Complications in 32,307 Ankle Fractures With and Without Concurrent Ankle Arthroscopic Procedures in a 5-Year Period Based on a Large U.S. Healthcare Database.

Residual symptoms often persist even after successful operative reduction and internal fixation (ORIF) of ankle fractures. Concurrent ankle arthroscopic procedures (CAAPs) have been proposed to improve clinical outcomes; however, a dearth of evidence is available supporting this practice. The purpose of the present study was to investigate the reoperation and complication rates after ORIF of ankle fractures with and without CAAPs. Reoperations and complications after ORIF of ankle fractures were identified using the PearlDiver database from January 2007 to December 2011. The CAAPs included bone marrow stimulation, debridement, synovectomy, and unspecified cartilage procedures. Reoperation procedures consisted of ankle fracture repeat fixation, arthroscopic procedures, osteochondral autograft transfers, and ankle arthrodesis. Of the 32,307 patients who underwent ankle fracture fixation, 248 received CAAP and 32,059 did not. No significant difference was found in the reoperation rate between the 2 groups (7.7% versus 8.6%; odds ratio 0.89; 95% confidence interval 0.55 to 1.42; p = .61). Of the 248 patients in the CAAP group, 19 (7.7%) underwent reoperation, of which 13 (68.4%) were arthroscopic debridement and 6 were either ankle refixation or osteochondral autograft transfer. For the non-CAAP group, 3021 reoperation procedures were performed, consisting of ankle refixation in 83.2%, arthroscopic procedures in 14.3%, and ankle arthrodesis in 2.5%. The complication rate in the non-CAAP group included wound dehiscence in 2.4%, wound surgery in 0.4%, deep vein thrombosis in 0.8%, and pulmonary embolism in 0.4%. No complications were detected in the CAAP group. Ankle fracture fixation with CAAPs did not increase the postoperative reoperation rate compared with ankle fracture fixation without CAAPs.

Incidence of reoperation and wound dehiscence in patients treated for peroneal tendon dislocations: comparison between osteotomy versus soft tissue procedures.

PURPOSES: There is a lack of substantial clinical evidence endorsing the clinical outcomes of osteotomy for peroneal tendon dislocations. The aim of this study was to compare the post-operative reoperation rates following osteotomy techniques and soft tissues procedures using large database in order to investigate the efficacy of bony techniques. METHODS: Patients who underwent osteotomy and soft tissue procedures for peroneal tendon dislocations were identified and subsequently analysed using the United Healthcare Orthopedic and the Medicare datasets (PearlDiver Patient Record Database, PearlDiver Technologies Inc., Fort Wayne, IN). The investigated period was from 2005 to 2012. The annual incidence, gender distribution, and incidences of reoperation and wound dehiscence following primary operative procedures were determined in these cohorts. RESULTS: Of 6122 patients who received operative treatment for peroneal tendon dislocations, 1416 patients (23.1%) received the osteotomy technique, while 4706 (76.9%) were treated with the soft tissue techniques. The incidence of these operative procedures did not change significantly over the time periods of each database. In both databases, reoperation rates were 2.8% (40/1416) for osteotomy patients and 3.4% (158/4706) for soft tissue repair patients, with no statistical difference (2.8 vs. 3.4%. odds ratio 0.8, 95% confidence interval [CI] 0.6-1.2, [n.s.]) between them. Based on both databases, wound dehiscence occurred in 2.6% (37/1416) of the osteotomy patients and 2.3% (110/4706) of soft tissue repair patients with no statistical difference (2.6 vs. 2.3%, odds ratio 1.1, 95% CI 0.8-1.6, [n.s.]) between the groups. CONCLUSION: The results of this study show that osteotomy techniques were frequently performed for patients with peroneal tendon dislocations. Nevertheless, osteotomy techniques for peroneal tendon dislocations are not associated with a lower risk of reoperation. In conclusion, soft tissue procedures offer a satisfactory method of treating peroneal tendon dislocations without any additional risk of reoperation when compared to osteotomy techniques that have potentially greater complication rates. LEVEL OF EVIDENCE: III.

Reoperation rates following ankle ligament procedures performed with and without concomitant arthroscopic procedures.

PURPOSE: Over 50 % of the patients with chronic lateral ankle instability present with some degree of intra-articular pathology. To date, no consensus regarding the concomitant ankle arthroscopy procedures along with ankle ligament procedures has been reached. The purpose of current study was to investigate reoperation rates and postoperative complications following ankle ligament procedures with and without concomitant arthroscopic procedures. METHODS: Reoperations and postoperative complications following ankle ligament procedures with and without concomitant arthroscopic procedures were investigated using the PearlDiver Patient Record Database (PearlDiver Technologies, Inc.; Fort Wayne, IN, USA) between 2007 and 2011. Ankle ligament procedures, including ligament repair and reconstruction, and ankle arthroscopic procedures were investigated as primary surgery. Subsequently, the reoperation procedures, including ankle ligament procedures, arthroscopic procedures, autologous osteochondral transplantation, and ankle arthrodesis, as well as wound complications and nerve injury following primary ankle ligament procedures were identified. RESULTS: In 8014 patients receiving ligament repair, the arthroscopic group had a significantly higher reoperation rate in comparison with the non-arthroscopic group (8.8 vs. 6.5 %, odds ratio: 1.1, [p < 0.01], 95 % confidence interval (CI) 1.2-1.7). However, the non-arthroscopic group included 29 open arthrodesis procedures following the primary surgery, whereas arthroscopic group had none. Of the 8055 patients who received a ligament reconstruction, there was no significant difference in reoperation rate between the groups (5.9 vs. 5.9 %, odds ratio: 1.0, [n.s], 95 % CI 0.8-1.2). As seen in the ligament repair group, the non-arthroscopic group had a 4.9 % rate of ankle arthrodesis as a secondary procedure. Arthroscopic group had a significantly lower rate of wound dehiscence following ankle ligament procedures than non-arthroscopic group. CONCLUSION: Concomitant ankle arthroscopy procedures performed with ankle ligament procedures did not decrease the rate of reoperation. However, there was a lower incidence of ankle arthrodesis and a lower rate of wound complications in the arthroscopic group when compared to those in non-arthroscopic group. Based on the results of the study, which analysed 16.069 patients, concomitant ankle arthroscopy is recommended. LEVEL OF EVIDENCE: IV.

Radiographic femoral bicondylar width predicts anterior cruciate ligament insertion site sizes.

PURPOSE: The purpose of this study was to determine whether radiographic femoral bicondylar width predicts intra-operative anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) insertion site sizes. METHODS: Seventy-three consecutive patients (39 males and 34 females; mean age 25.2 years ± 10.2) who underwent anatomic ACL reconstruction were retrospectively reviewed. Femoral condyle width was measured using a pre-operative anteroposterior (AP) radiograph of the operative knee. Lines were drawn through the anatomic axis of the femur, as well as perpendicularly through the condyles. Bicondylar width was measured as the maximum width across both the medial and lateral femoral condyles utilizing this perpendicular line. The ACL insertion site lengths (in the AP direction) of both the tibia and the femur were measured intra-operatively using a commercially available arthroscopic ruler. RESULTS: The average bicondylar width was significantly smaller for females compared to males (p < 0.05). The average tibial and femoral insertion site sizes were significantly smaller for females compared to males (p < 0.05). Regression analysis predicted tibial (r 2 = 0.88) and femoral (r 2 = 0.90) insertion site sizes based on femoral bicondylar width measurements. CONCLUSION: A simple radiographic measurement of femoral bicondylar width can predict intra-operative tibial and femoral insertion site sizes, which has the potential to assist surgeons in performing individualized ACL reconstruction in cases where MRI scan is unavailable. LEVEL OF EVIDENCE: IV.

No differences in subjective knee function between surgical techniques of anterior cruciate ligament reconstruction at 2-year follow-up: a cohort study from the Swedish National Knee Ligament Register.

PURPOSE: The purpose of this study was to investigate how different techniques of single-bundle anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) reconstruction affect subjective knee function via the Knee injury and Osteoarthritis Outcome Score (KOOS) evaluation 2 years after surgery. It was hypothesized that the surgical techniques of single-bundle ACL reconstruction would result in equivalent results with respect to subjective knee function 2 years after surgery. METHODS: This cohort study was based on data from the Swedish National Knee Ligament Register during the 10-year period of 1 January 2005 through 31 December 2014. Patients who underwent primary single-bundle ACL reconstruction with hamstrings tendon autograft were included. Details on surgical technique were collected using a web-based questionnaire comprised of essential AARSC items, including utilization of accessory medial portal drilling, anatomic tunnel placement, and visualization of insertion sites and landmarks. A repeated measures ANOVA and an additional linear mixed model analysis were used to investigate the effect of surgical technique on the KOOS4 from the pre-operative period to 2-year follow-up. RESULTS: A total of 13,636 patients who had undergone single-bundle ACL reconstruction comprised the study group for this analysis. A repeated measures ANOVA determined that mean subjective knee function differed between the pre-operative time period and at 2-year follow-up (p < 0.001). No differences were found with respect to the interaction between KOOS4 and surgical technique or gender. Additionally, the linear mixed model adjusted for age at reconstruction, gender, and concomitant injuries showed no difference between surgical techniques in KOOS4 improvement from baseline to 2-year follow-up. However, KOOS4 improved significantly in patients for all surgical techniques of single-bundle ACL reconstruction (p < 0.001); the largest improvement was seen between the pre-operative time period and at 1-year follow-up. CONCLUSION: Surgical techniques of primary single-bundle ACL reconstruction did not demonstrate differences in the improvement in baseline subjective knee function as measured with the KOOS4 during the first 2 years after surgery. However, subjective knee function improved from pre-operative baseline to 2-year follow-up independently of surgical technique.

Current concepts review: Arthroscopic treatment of anterior ankle impingement.

Anterior ankle impingement is a common cause of chronic ankle pain, particularly in athletic populations. Morris and McMurray provided the earliest descriptions of anterior impingement, coining the condition as "athlete's ankle" or "footballer's ankle". The pathology has since been a topic of considerable investigation and has been re-termed "anterior ankle impingement syndrome". Treatment with open surgery has provided good results historically, but at the price of significant complications. Advancements in ankle arthroscopy have decreased the risk of complication drastically and evidence in the literature indicates that anterior arthroscopy is an effective approach to treating osseous and soft tissue impingement. Effective clinical diagnosis and diagnostic imaging are critical for pre-surgical planning. Preoperative detection of anterior osteophytes has been correlated with outcomes. Factors such as joint space narrowing and large osteophytes may also influence outcomes. Therefore, a comprehensive understanding of diagnosis and surgical technique can influence patient outcomes, and patient expectations can be managed around prognostic indicators such as the presence of osteoarthritis. The purpose of this review is to discuss the etiology, clinical presentation, diagnosis, surgical technique, and postoperative rehabilitation of anteromedial and anterolateral anterior ankle impingement syndrome and to evaluate the evidence-based outcomes of arthroscopic management.

Low Level of Evidence and Methodologic Quality of Clinical Outcome Studies on Cartilage Repair of the Ankle.

PURPOSE: To examine the level of evidence and methodologic quality of studies reporting surgical treatments for osteochondral lesions of the ankle. METHODS: A search was performed using the PubMed/Medline, Embase, CINAHL (Cumulative Index to Nursing and Allied Health Literature), and Cochrane databases for all studies in which the primary objective was to report the outcome after surgical treatment of osteochondral lesions of the ankle. Studies reporting outcomes of microfracture, bone marrow stimulation, autologous osteochondral transplantation, osteochondral allograft transplantation, and autologous chondrocyte implantation were the focus of this analysis because they are most commonly reported in the literature. Two independent investigators scored each study from 0 to 100 based on 10 criteria from the modified Coleman Methodology Score (CMS) and assigned a level of evidence using the criteria established by the Journal of Bone and Joint Surgery. Data were collected on the study type, year of publication, number of surgical procedures, mean follow-up, preoperative and postoperative American Orthopaedic Foot & Ankle Society score, measures used to assess outcome, geography, institution type, and conflict of interest. RESULTS: Eighty-three studies reporting the results of 2,382 patients who underwent 2,425 surgical procedures for osteochondral lesions of the ankle met the inclusion criteria. Ninety percent of studies were of Level IV evidence. The mean CMS for all scored studies was 53.6 of 100, and 5 areas were identified as methodologically weak: study size, type of study, description of postoperative rehabilitation, procedure for assessing outcome, and description of the selection process. There was no significant difference between the CMS and the type of surgical technique (P = .1411). A statistically significant patient-weighted correlation was found between the CMS and the level of evidence (r = -0.28, P = .0072). There was no statistically significant patient-weighted correlation found between the CMS and the institution type (r = 0.05, P = .6480) or financial conflict of interest (r = -0.16, P = .1256). CONCLUSIONS: Most studies assessing the clinical outcomes of cartilage repair of the ankle are of a low level of evidence and of poor methodologic quality. LEVEL OF EVIDENCE: Level IV, systematic review of Level I through IV studies.

Magnetic Resonance Imaging Evidence of Postoperative Cyst Formation Does Not Appear to Affect Clinical Outcomes After Autologous Osteochondral Transplantation of the Talus.

PURPOSE: To identify potential cysts using magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) after autologous osteochondral transplantation (AOT) for osteochondral lesions of the talus (OLTs) as well as to determine the effect of cysts on short-term clinical outcomes. METHODS: Eighty-nine MRI scans of 37 patients who had AOT for an OLT were evaluated. Radiographic variables examined included cyst presence, cyst location, bone edema, and cartilage integrity. Patient clinical variables recorded and examined for association with the presence of a cyst included gender, age, preoperative lesion size, size and number of osteochondral graft used, symptoms reported, and pre- and postoperative Foot and Ankle Outcome Score (FAOS) and Short Form-12 (SF-12) scores measured at final follow-up. RESULTS: Twenty-four patients (64.8%) had MRI evidence of cystic change after AOT for an OLT at a mean MRI follow-up time of 15 months after surgery (range 2-54). Patients with presence of a cyst after surgery were older (mean age, 42.7 years) than those without cysts (mean age, 32.7 years) (P = .041), and among patients with a cyst, older patients more often had involvement of the subchondral plate (57.3 v 36.7 years) (P < .001). No other variables associated with cyst formation had statistical significance. Mean patient FAOS scores increased from 50 (±19) preoperatively to 87 (±8) postoperatively. Mean SF-12 scores increased from 52 (±18) preoperatively to 85 (±6) postoperatively. Patients not identified as having a cyst had lower SF-12 (P = .028) and FAOS (P = .032) preoperative scores and more improvement in SF-12 (P = .006) and FAOS (P = .016) scores than patients with cysts. CONCLUSIONS: Postoperative cyst formation on MRI was found to be a common occurrence after AOT for OLT. Although increasing age was related to increased cyst prevalence, the clinical impact of cyst formation was not found to be significant at short-term follow-up. Continued long-term longitudinal follow-up of postoperative cysts is needed. LEVEL OF EVIDENCE: Level IV, prognostic case series.

Autologous Osteochondral Transplantation for Osteochondral Lesions of the Talus: Does Previous Bone Marrow Stimulation Negatively Affect Clinical Outcome?

PURPOSE: To determine if functional outcomes and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) outcomes were significantly different between patients receiving primary autologous osteochondral transplantation (AOT) and patients receiving secondary AOT surgery after failed microfracture. METHODS: A group of 76 patients enrolled into the Foot and Ankle Service between 2006 and 2012 was retrospectively analyzed. Patient-reported outcomes were evaluated in 76 patients using the Foot and Ankle Outcome Score (FAOS). Superficial and deep tissues at the repaired defect site, as well as the adjacent normal cartilage, were analyzed using quantitative T2 mapping MRI. Magnetic Resonance Observation of Cartilage Repair Tissue (MOCART) allowed for morphological evaluation of the repair tissue. The mean clinical follow-up time was 51 ± 23 months (range, 12 to 97 months), and the mean MRI follow-up time was 26 months (range, 24 to 36 months). RESULTS: Twenty-two patients received primary AOT and 54 received secondary AOT after failed microfracture. Patient characteristics between groups were similar with regard to age, gender, lesion size, and follow-up time. The mean postoperative FAOS was 10 points higher in the primary AOT group (83.2 ± 17.0) compared with the secondary AOT group (72.4 ± 19.4) (P = .01). Regression analysis showed that secondary AOT patients preoperative to postoperative change in FAOS was 9 points lower than in primary AOT patients after adjustment for age, preoperative FAOS, and lesion size (P = .045). The mean MOCART score, superficial T2 and deep T2 values, and the difference between normal and repair cartilage T2 values were not significantly different between groups. Lesion size was negatively correlated with MOCART scores (ρ = -0.2, P = .04), but positively correlated with difference in T2 values between repair and adjacent normal cartilage in the superficial layer (ρ = 0.3, P = .045). CONCLUSIONS: Primary AOT shows better functional outcomes compared with secondary AOT after failed microfracture in patients with similar characteristics and lesion size. No significant differences in T2 mapping relaxation times and MOCART scores were identified. LEVEL OF EVIDENCE: Level III, case control study.

Arthroscopic Bone Marrow Stimulation and Concentrated Bone Marrow Aspirate for Osteochondral Lesions of the Talus: A Case-Control Study of Functional and Magnetic Resonance Observation of Cartilage Repair Tissue Outcomes.

PURPOSE: This study compares retrospective functional and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) outcomes after arthroscopic bone marrow stimulation (BMS) with and without concentrated bone marrow aspirate (cBMA) as a biological adjunct to the surgical treatment of osteochondral lesions (OCLs) of the talus. METHODS: Twenty-two patients who underwent arthroscopic BMS with cBMA (cBMA/BMS group) for an osteochondral lesion (OCL) of the talus and 12 patients who underwent arthroscopic BMS (BMS alone) for an OCL of the talus were retrospectively reviewed. The Foot and Ankle Outcome Score (FAOS) pain subscale and Short Form 12 general health questionnaire physical component summary score (SF-12 PCS) provided patient-reported outcome scores pre- and postoperatively. MRI scans were assessed postoperatively using the magnetic resonance observation of cartilage repair tissue (MOCART) score. All patients had postoperative MRI performed at the 2-year postoperative visit, and quantitative T2 mapping relaxation time values were assessed in a subset of the cBMA/BMS group. RESULTS: The mean FAOS and SF-12 PCS scores improved significantly pre- to post-operatively (P < .01) at a mean follow-up of 48.3 months (range, 34 to 82 months) for the cBMA/BMS group and 77.3 months (range, 46 to 100 months) for the BMS-alone group. The MOCART score in the cBMA/BMS group was significantly higher than that in the BMS-alone group (P = .023). Superficial and deep T2 relaxation values in cBMA/BMS patients were higher in repair tissue compared with measurements in adjacent native articular cartilage (P = .030 and P < .001, respectively). CONCLUSIONS: BMS is an effective treatment strategy for treatment of OCLs of the talus and results in good medium-term functional outcomes. Arthroscopic BMS with cBMA also results in similar functional outcomes and improved border repair tissue integration, with less evidence of fissuring and fibrillation on MRI.

Effects of gastrocnemius recession on ankle motion, strength, and functional outcomes: a systematic review and national healthcare database analysis.

PURPOSE: The purpose of this systematic review was to report the effects of gastrocnemius recession on ankle dorsiflexion range of motion, function, and push-off power. METHODS: The MEDLINE and EMBASE databases were reviewed with terms "gastrocnemius recession". The inclusion criteria were: (1) clinical studies, (2) published in a peer-reviewed journal within the past 10 years, and (3) published in English. Excluded were: (1) review articles, (2) cadaveric studies, (3) studies including patients under the age of 18 years, (4) studies evaluating a neurologic condition, (5) level of evidence 5, and (6) Quality of Evidence Score <3. Data were then extracted and analysed for trends. The PearlDiver Database was also used to review de-identified patient information retrospectively between 2007 and 2011. RESULTS: Full-text review yielded 23 articles that fit the inclusion criteria. Twenty-one of 23 (91%) and 2/23 (9%) studies were level of evidence 4 and 3, respectively. Twelve of 23 (52%) studies reported follow-up assessment between 12 and 36 months, and no studies reported longer-term follow-up. Twelve of 12 (100%) studies reported improved dorsiflexion range of motion 9/9 (100%) reported improved AOFAS, and 11/11 (100%) reported improved VAS. Five of 23 (22%) studies reported strength in a measured and controlled fashion with variable results, but of these, no study reported a return to normal power. The mean complication rate was 14%. CONCLUSION: The available evidence supports that GR improves functional outcomes and increases dorsiflexion range of motion. Furthermore, GR affects gait kinematics, which may cause compensatory effects at the knee, ankle, and subtalar joints. Evidence has shown that power does not return to normal levels. Clinicians may utilize these data clinically to determine whether patients may benefit from GR or not. LEVEL OF EVIDENCE: IV.

Functional outcomes after peroneal tendoscopy in the treatment of peroneal tendon disorders.

PURPOSE: The primary purpose of this study was to evaluate clinical outcomes following peroneal tendoscopy for the treatment of peroneal pathology. Correlation between pre-operative magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) and peroneal tendoscopic diagnostic findings was also assessed. METHODS: Twenty-three patients with a mean age of 34 ± 8.8 years undergoing peroneal tendoscopy were pre- and post-operatively assessed with the foot and ankle outcome score (FAOS) and the Short Form-12 (SF-12) outcome questionnaires. Follow-up was over 24 months in all patients. The sensitivity and specificity of MRI were calculated in comparison with peroneal tendoscopy, including the positive predictive value (PPV). RESULTS: Both the FAOS and the SF-12 improved significantly (p < 0.05) at a mean follow-up of 33 ± 7.3 months significantly. MRI showed an overall sensitivity of 0.90 (95% confidence interval (CI) = 0.82-0.95) and specificity of 0.72 (95% CI 0.62-0.80). The PPV for MRI diagnosis of peroneal tendon pathology was 0.76 (95% CI 0.68-0.83). CONCLUSIONS: The current study found good clinical outcomes in patients with peroneal tendon disorders, treated with peroneal tendoscopy. Although a relatively small number of patients were included, the study suggests good correlation between tendoscopic findings and pre-operative MRI findings of peroneal tendon pathology, supporting the use of MRI as a useful diagnostic modality for suspected peroneal tendon disorders. LEVEL OF EVIDENCE: Level IV, retrospective case series.

Quantitative analysis of the patella following the harvest of a quadriceps tendon autograft with a bone block.

PURPOSE: The objective of this study was to determine parameters associated with patellar fracture after quadriceps tendon autograft harvest. METHODS: Thirteen non-fractured and five fractured patella surface models were created based on patient data obtained from a prospective randomized clinical trial in order to assess geometric parameters and bending stress. Measurements that describe the bone block harvest site geometry were used to calculate three normalized parameters. The relative depth parameter describes the thickness of the bone block harvest site with respect to the thickness of the patella at the harvest site. The asymmetry parameter defines the medial-lateral location of the bone bock harvest site. The normalized bending stress parameter assesses the bending stress experienced by the remaining bone beneath the bone block harvest site. RESULTS: The relative depth of the bone block harvest site in the non-fractured patellae was 27 ± 12 % and for the fractured patellae was 42 ± 14 % (p < 0.05). With a value <1 indicating a more lateral location of the harvest site, asymmetry for the non-fractured group was 1.0 ± 0.5 and 0.7 ± 0.4 for the fractured group (n.s.). The maximum bending stress experienced by the non-fractured patellae was (1.8 × 10(-3) ± 1.3 × 10(-3)) mm(-3) × M and for the fractured patellae was over three times greater (6.3 × 10(-3) ± 3.7 × 10(-3)) mm(-3) × M (p < 0.05). CONCLUSION: Based on the non-uniform geometry of the patella, an emphasis should be made on harvesting a standard percentage of patella thickness rather than a fixed depth. In order to minimize the incidence of a patellar fracture, bone blocks should not be taken laterally and should not exceed 30 % of the total patella thickness at the harvest site.